Loading...

Evaluation of Combined Photon and Proton Therapy using Experimental Data and Simulations

Kalantari, Fatemeh | 2025

0 Viewed
  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 58585 (46)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Energy Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Hosseini, Abolfazl; Movafeghi, Amir
  7. Abstract:
  8. Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and radiotherapy contributes to the treatment of approximately 50–60% of patients. Over recent decades, photon-based radiotherapy has evolved from three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) to more advanced techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). These approaches enable more precise dose delivery to the target volume while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. In parallel, proton therapy has emerged as a promising modality owing to its unique physical property, the Bragg peak, which allows superior dose conformity. However, its widespread implementation is limited by high costs and restricted accessibility. This study focuses on head and neck cancers, where treatment accuracy and organ-at-risk sparing are particularly critical. For five patients, photon-based treatment plans (3D-CRT, IMRT, or VMAT) and proton plans were generated. Using the biologically effective dose (BED) model, the optimal photon–proton ratio was calculated for each case, and a combined treatment strategy was proposed. The results demonstrated that mixed photon–proton radiotherapy improved target coverage and organ-at-risk protection while simultaneously reducing treatment costs and relieving the burden on proton therapy centers. The novelty of this work lies in tailoring photon modalities to individual patients, applying the combined BED-based optimization approach specifically to head and neck cancers, and addressing both clinical and economic aspects of treatment. Overall, the findings suggest that the hybrid photon–proton strategy offers a practical and cost-effective solution to enhance the quality of radiotherapy
  9. Keywords:
  10. Cancer Treatment ; Radiotherapy ; Proton Therapy ; Combined Radiotherapy ; Photon Therapy ; Biologically Effective Dose (BED) ; Head and Neck Cancer

 Digital Object List

 Bookmark

No TOC