Clinical commissioning of intensity-modulated proton therapy systems: Report of AAPM Task Group 185

Proton therapy is an expanding radiotherapy modality in the United States and worldwide. With the number of proton therapy centers treating patients increasing, so does the need for consistent, high-quality clinical commissioning practices. Clinical commissioning encompasses the entire proton therapy system\u27s multiple components, including the treatment delivery system, the patient positioning system, and the image-guided radiotherapy components. Also included in the commissioning process are the x-ray computed tomography scanner calibration for proton stopping power, the radiotherapy treatment planning system, and corresponding portions of the treatment management system. This commissioning report focuses exclusively on intensity-modulated scanning systems, presenting details of how to perform the commissioning of the proton therapy and ancillary systems, including the required proton beam measurements, treatment planning system dose modeling, and the equipment needed

Energy spectrum control for modulated proton beams

In proton therapy delivered with range modulated beams, the energy spectrum of protons entering the delivery nozzle can affect the dose uniformity within the target region and the dose gradient around its periphery. For a cyclotron with a fixed extraction energy, a rangeshifter is used to change the energy but this produces increasing energy spreads for decreasing energies. This study investigated the magnitude of the effects of different energy spreads on dose uniformity and distal edge dose gradient and determined the limits for controlling the incident spectrum. A multilayer Faraday cup (MLFC) was calibrated against depth dose curves measured in water for nonmodulated beams with various incident spectra. Depth dose curves were measured in a water phantom and in a multilayer ionization chamber detector for modulated beams using different incident energy spreads. Some nozzle entrance energy spectra can produce unacceptable dose nonuniformities of up to ±21% over the modulated region. For modulated beams and small beam ranges, the width of the distal penumbra can vary by a factor of 2.5. When the energy spread was controlled within the defined limits, the dose nonuniformity was less than ±3%. To facilitate understanding of the results, the data were compared to the measured and Monte Carlo calculated data from a variable extraction energy synchrotron which has a narrow spectrum for all energies. Dose uniformity is only maintained within prescription limits when the energy spread is controlled. At low energies, a large spread can be beneficial for extending the energy range at which a single range modulator device can be used. An MLFC can be used as part of a feedback to provide specified energy spreads for different energies

Dependence of proton beam polarization on ion source transition configurations

The polarization of extracted SATURNE II proton beam as a function of different ion source configurations was studied. Two distinct experiments were necessary for this purpose. In the first one, the LEFT-RIGHT instrumental asymmetry of the beam polarimeter was determined using an unpolarized beam. In the second one this correction factor was applied to asymmetries measured with the beam from the polarized ion source in all polarization states. The measurements were carried out at the proton beam kinetic energy 0.80 GeV, where the pp-elastic scattering analyzing power is near its maximum. The results confirmed that the two so-called “unpolarized states” of the source were polarized to several percent, whereas the absolute values of the beam polarizations in the so-called “polarized states” were equal and opposite. It was observed that the hexapole lens of the ion source produced beam polarization in the absence of any transition. The beam polarization as a function of hexapole current, transition field attenuation, and spin rotation solenoid current was measured. It was also shown how to obtain a strictly unpolarized beam using the polarized source only. The results obtained with the SATURNE II ion source HYPERION may also be relevant to similar sources at other accelerators

Programme nucléon-nucléon à SATURNE II, partie 3, E-225 = Nucleon-Nucleon Program at Saturne II, part 3, E-225

Ce rapport contient les résultats obtenus pendant la période 1992-1995 dans le cadre du programme Nucléon-Nucléon (NN) auprès de Saturne II. La diffusion pp élastique et quasiélasique a été étudiée en détail au-dessus de 1.8 GeV dans un large domaine angulaire. Les mesures ont été effectuées avec les faisceaux de protons polarisés et non-polarisés et/ou avec la cible polarisée. Les observables dépendant des spins des particules initiales ainsi que la polarisation des particules de recul ont été mesurées pour différentes orientations des spins. Les particularités intéressantes et les structures observées dans les dépendances angulaires et en énergie des observables et des amplitudes de diffusion sont présentées