Predicting proton-nucleus total reaction cross sections up to 300 MeV using a simple functional form

Total reaction cross sections are predicted for proton scattering from various nuclei. A simple functional form has been used that reproduces the total reaction cross sections for the scattering of protons from (15) nuclei spanning the mass range from ${}^9$Be to ${}^{238}$U and for proton energies 10 to 300 MeV

Predictions of total and total reaction cross sections for nucleon-nucleus scattering up to 300 MeV

Total reaction cross sections are predicted for nucleons scattering from various nuclei. Projectile energies to 300 MeV are considered. So also are mass variations of those cross sections at selected energies. All predictions have been obtained from coordinate space optical potentials formed by full folding effective two-nucleon (NN) interactions with one body density matrix elements (OBDME) of the nuclear ground states. Good comparisons with data result when effective NN interactions defined by medium modification of free NN t matrices are used. Coupled with analyses of differential cross sections, these results are sensitive to details of the model ground states used to describe nuclei

Nuclear data for radiotherapy: Presentation of a new ICRU report and IAEA initiatives

An ICRU report entitled ''Nuclear Data for neutron and Proton Radiotherapy and for Radiation Protection'' is in preparation. The present paper presents an overview of this report, along with examples of some of the results obtained for evaluated nuclear cross sections and kerma coefficients. These cross sections are evaluated using a combination of measured data and the GNASH nuclear model code for elements of importance for biological, dosimetric, beam modification and shielding purposes. In the case of hydrogen both R-matrix and phase-shift scattering theories are used. In the report neutron cross sections and kerma coefficients will be presented up to 100 MeV and proton cross sections up to 250 MeV. An IAEA Consultants' Meeting was also convened to examine the ''Status of Nuclear Data needed for Radiation Therapy and Existing Data Development Activities in Member States''. Recommendations were made regarding future endeavors

Isoeffective dose: A concept for biological weighting of absorbed dose in proton and heavier-ion therapies

When reporting radiation therapy procedures, International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU) recommends specifying absorbed dose at/in all clinically relevant points and/or volumes. In addition, treatment conditions should be reported as completely as possible in order to allow full understanding and interpretation of the treatment prescription. However, the clinical outcome does not only depend on absorbed dose but also on a number of other factors such as dose per fraction, overall treatment time and radiation quality radiation biology effectiveness (RBE). Therefore, weighting factors have to be applied when different types of treatments are to be compared or to be combined. This had led to the concept of 'isoeffective absorbed dose', introduced by ICRU and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The isoeffective dose DIsoE is the dose of a treatment carried out under reference conditions producing the same clinical effects on the target volume as those of the actual treatment. It is the product of the total absorbed dose (in gray) used and a weighting factor WIsoE (dimensionless): DIsoE=D3WIsoE. In fractionated photon-beam therapy, the dose per fraction and the overall treatment time (in days) are the two main parameters that the radiation oncologist has the freedom to adjust. The weighting factor for an alteration of the dose per fraction is commonly evaluated using the linear-quadratic (α/β) model. For therapy with protons and heavier ions, radiation quality has to be taken into account. A 'generic proton RBE' of 1.1 for clinical applications is recommended in a joint ICRU-IAEA Report [ICRU (International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements) and IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). Prescribing, recording and reporting proton-beam therapy. ICRU Report 78, jointly with the IAEA, JICRU, 7(2) Oxford University Press (2007)]. For heavier ions (e.g. carbon ions), the situation is more complex as the RBE values vary markedly with particle type, energy and depth in tissue. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

Status report of the NAC particle therapy programme

The 200 MeV cyclotron facility at the National Accelerator Centre has been operational since 1987. Between September 1988 and December 1997 a total of 973 patients (26,916 fields) had been treated on the 66 MeV p+Be isocentric neutron therapy system. Patients are currently being treated according to several protocols, including tumors of the head and neck, salivary gland and breast and soft tissue sarcomas, uterine sarcomas and paranasal sinuses. A multiblade post-collimator trimmer has recently being installed. This device provides improved neutron beam shaping capability. Between September 1993 and December 1997 a total of 243 patients (4008 fields) had been treated (mainly intracranial stereotactic irradiations) on the fixed horizontal 200 MeV proton therapy facility. The facility incorporates an innovative automatic patient positioning system. Two new fixed beam lines for proton therapy are presently being designed (horizontal and 30°to the vertical) for an existing unused treatment vault. Spot scanning systems will be developed for both beam lines.Conference Pape

The NAC proton treatment planning system

A three-dimensional proton treatment planning system called PROXELPLAN has been used at the National Accelerator Centre (NAC) since October 1994. This system is entirely based on the VOXELPLAN planning system, developed at the Deutches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. The VOXELPLAN system provides the treatment planning infrastructure while the proton dose distributions are calculated using a software module that was initially developed at the Royal Marsden Hospital, UK. The proton module has been extensively modified and refined. It uses a rayline-tracing algorithm which is suitable for planning current treatments but is not sufficiently dynamic to accommodate the use of compensators. A sophisticated pencil beam algorithm is currently under development.Conference Pape

Proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for survival in mice after thoracic irradiation with fractionated doses

Purpose: This study aims at providing relative biological effectiveness (RBE) data under reference conditions accounting for the determination of the 'clinical RBE' of protons.Methods and Materials: RBE (ref. 60Co γ-rays) of the 200 MeV clinical proton beam produced at the National Accelerator Centre (South Africa) was determined for lung tolerance assessed by survival after selective irradiation of the thorax in mice. Irradiations were performed in 1, 3, or 10 fractions separated by 12 h. Proton irradiations were performed at the middle of a 7-cm spread out Bragg peak (SOBP). Control γ irradiations were randomized with proton irradiations and performed simultaneously. A total of 1008 mice was used, of which 96 were assessed for histopathology.Results: RBEs derived from LD50 ratios were found not to vary significantly with fractionation (corresponding dose range, ~2-20 Gy). They, however, tend to increase with time and reach (mean of the RBEs for 1, 3 and 10 fractions) 1.00, 1.08, 1.14, and 1.25 for LD50 at 180, 210, 240, and 270 days, respectively (confidence interval approximately 20%). α/β ratios for protons and γ are very similar and average 2.3 (0.6-4.8) for the different endpoints. Additional irradiations in 10 fractions at the end of the SOBP were found slightly more effective (~6%) than at the middle of the SOBP. A control experiment for intestinal crypt regeneration in mice was randomized with the lung experiment and yielded an RBE of 1.14 ± 0.03, i.e., the same value as obtained previously, which vouches for the reliability of the experimental procedure.Conclusion: There is no need to raise the clinical RBE of protons in consideration of the late tolerance of healthy tissues in the extent that RBE for lung tolerance was found not to vary with fractionation nor to differ significantly from those of the majority of early- and late-responding tissues. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.Articl