Monte Carlo simulation of a protontherapy platform devoted to ocular melanoma

Patients with ocular melanoma have been treated since June 1991 at the medical cyclotron of the Centre Antoine Lacassagne (CAL). Positions and sizes of the ocular nozzle elements were initially defined based on experimental work, taking as a pattern functional existing facilities. Nowadays Monte Carlo (MC) calculation offers a tool to refine this geometry by adjusting size and place of beam modeling devices. Moreover, the MC tool is a useful way to calculate the dose and to evaluate the impact of secondary particles in the field of radiotherapy or radiation protection. Both LINAC and cyclotron producing x rays, electrons, protons, and neutrons are available in CAL, which suggests choosing MCNPX for its particle versatility. As a first step, the existing installation was input in MCNPX to check its aptitude to reproduce experimentally measured depth-dose profile, lateral profile, output-factor (OF), and absolute dose. The geometry was defined precisely and described from the last achromatic bending magnet of our proton beam line to the position of treated eyes. Relative comparisons of percentage depth-dose and lateral profiles, performed between measured data and simulations, show an agreement of the order of 2% in dose and 0.1 mm in range accuracy. These comparisons, carried out with and without beam-modifying device, yield results compatible to the required precision in ocular melanoma treatments, as long as adequate choices are made on MCNPX input decks for physics card. Absolute dose and OF issued from calculations and measurements were also compared. Results obtained for these two kinds of data, carried out in the simplified situation of an unmodulated beam, indicate that MC calculation could effectively complement measurements. These encouraging results are a large source of motivation to promote further studies, first in a new design of the ocular nozzle, and second in the analysis of the influence of beam-modifying devices attached to the final patient collimator, such as wedge or compensators, on dose values. (c) 2005 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.