Reduzierung der Unsicherheiten bei der klinischen Dosimetrie und bei der Dosisberechnung für Ionenstrahlen mit Hilfe von Monte Carlo Simulationen

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Jürgen Debus; Professor Dr. Oliver Jäkel
• Subject Area: Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy, Radiobiology
• Term: from 2006 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 22505257

The first German hospital based facility for heavy ion radiotherapy will start its operation in 2007 in Heidelberg. In order to reach the same level of accuracy in radiation dosimetry and dose calculations for treatment planning as is common standard in conventional radiation therapy, a better description of the basic interactions of ions with matter is needed. Since the Heidelberg facility will offer a variety of different ion species (from protons up to oxygen), the basic knowledge gained in the pilot project at GSI for carbon ions interacting with water has to be extended to other ions, but also to target materials other than water. With the help of Monte Carlo simulations, the transport of ion beams through matter will be simulated in detail, taking in to account electronic and nuclear interactions. The questions addressed include the effects of nuclear fragmentation on the response of various dosimeters (emphasizing ionization chambers), dosimeter specific correction factors, differences of ion interactions in various body tissues, improvements in the CT based range calculation and finally a full Monte Carlo based dose calculation for treatment planning.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants