Report of the AAPM Task Group No. 105: Issues associated with clinical implementation of Monte Carlo‐based photon and electron external beam treatment planning

The Monte Carlo (MC) method has been shown through many research studies to calculate accurate dose distributions for clinical radiotherapy, particularly in heterogeneous patient tissues where the effects of electron transport cannot be accurately handled with conventional, deterministic dose algorithms. Despite its proven accuracy and the potential for improved dose distributions to influence treatment outcomes, the long calculation times previously associated with MC simulation rendered this method impractical for routine clinical treatment planning. However, the development of faster codes optimized for radiotherapy calculations and improvements in computer processor technology have substantially reduced…

• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: R01CA106770, P01CA59827, R01CA104777, R01CA98524
• NS
  Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada