Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Muhammad, Wazir
Abstract
This study presents two significant investigations in the field of proton therapy, leveraging advanced Monte Carlo simulations to improve our understanding and modeling of proton beam characteristics and secondary particle dynamics. The first investigation centers on the development and validation of a Monte Carlo model tailored for the single-room Varian ProBeam pencil beam scanning system. The study begins with an in-depth simulation analysis to justify the selection of the "g4h-phy_QGSP_FTFP_BERT" physics list configuration for our TOPASSFPTI model, developed using the TOPAS 3.9 tool with a Geant4 base, version 10.07.p03. Comprehensive verification against clinical measurements in a water phantom demonstrated the accuracy of the model. A comparative analysis between the TOPASSFPTI model and a previously published TOPAS model for the Varian ProBeam system at Emory Proton Therapy Center (TOPASEmory) revealed distinct differences in the beam characteristics. Notably, the TOPASSFPTI model exhibited a closer alignment with the specific beam characterization at SFPTI, showing a strong consistency in beam energy spread (σE) and integrated depth dose distributions (IDDs), with a 98-100% agreement under 2%/2 mm γ-index criteria. Differences in lateral spot sizes were observed, with the TOPASSFPTI model showing slightly larger spot sizes compared to TOPASEmory, which aligns more closely with SFPTI’s clinical setup. Additionally, the calibration of absolute dose values indicated significant differences in the number of protons per monitor unit (MU) between the TOPASSFPTI and the clinical treatment planning system (TPS) data, with the TOPASSFPTI model consistently showing higher values.
Extent
93 p.
Recommended Citation
Ibrahim, Shreen, "EVALUATION OF DOSE DISTRIBUTION AND SECONDARY PARTICLE DYNAMICS USING MONTE CARLO SIMULATION IN PROTON THERAPY" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present. 1407.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general/1407
Identifier
FA00014529
Comments
Includes bibliography.|Dissertation (PhD)--Florida Atlantic University, 2024.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.