Study of brachytherapy dosimetry Using montecarlo simulation technique

Abstract

newlineCancer is indeed a dreaded disease Hardly there is any other malady newlinewhich would evoke greater fear and anxiety than cancer and its ranks worst newlinekiller next only to heart attack There are certain fairly reliable method for the newlinealleviation and cure of cancer particularly when detected early viz surgery newlineradiotherapy and chemotherapy More than 60 of cancer patients are treated newlinewith radiation therapy either via solely radiation therapy or combined with newlineother options Radiotherapy can be delivered in two different forms external newlineor internal In internal radiation therapy viz brachytherapy encapsulated newlineradioactive sources are placed directly into or adjacent to the tumor The aim newlineof curative radiation treatment is to deliver dose as high as possible to the newlinetumor without causing unacceptable damage to the surrounding healthy newlinetissues Hence the precise estimation of radiation dose is an essential task newlineThe dosimetry nearer to the brachytherapy sources is very difficult to measure newlineexperimentally newlineIn this regard recently Monte Carlo based calculations are made newlinefeasible to calculate actual dose as well as relative dose distribution The newlinedifferent Monte Carlo transport codes which are commonly used by the newlineMedical Physicists include MCNP Monte Carlo N Particle EGS4EGSnrc newlineElectron Gamma Shower and ITS Integrated Tiger Series Monte Carlo newlinecalculations require very detailed knowledge of the source design to obtain newlinethe most accurate results and therefore cannot completely replace careful newlineexperimental calculations newline newline