Analysis of corrected Cerenkov emission during electron radiotherapy by Monte Carlo method

Highlights: • As the energy and the applicator size increases, Monte Carlo simulated CPU time per history is increased. • Compared with the measured results, the Monte Carlo uncertainty is acceptable for clinical criterion. • Monte Carlo simulated Cerenkov crossline profile could estimate crossline dose profile accurately in water. • The corrected Cerenkov depth profile could estimate dose PDD accurately at the attenuation region in water. Cerenkov emission during electron radiotherapy had been emerging as a new dose assessment approach for clinical radiotherapy and could be imaged through a standard commercial camera. The purpose of this work aimed to study the accuracy of corrected Cerenkov emission method during electron radiotherapy by Monte Carlo (MC) method. GAMOS MC software was used to model the physics of electron therapy and calculated dose and Cerenkov photon distribution in water phantom. Compared to ionization chamber and diode measurement, MC simulated dose discrepancy was less than 1% in percentage depth dose (PDD) curves and less than. 2% in crossline profile curves, which was acceptable for clinical criterion. Compared to ionization chamber dose measurement, MC simulated Cerenkov discrepancy was less than 2% in crossline profile distribution, which was acceptable for clinical criterion. However, the Cerenkov PDD curves tended to overestimate the dose at the build-up region and underestimate the dose at the remaining attenuation region. After increasing the Cerenkov distribution depth to 2–3 mm, the discrepancy became well within 1% at the remaining attenuation region, which was acceptable for clinical criterion. Therefore, corrected Cerenkov emission could be used to assess PDD accuracy and crossline profile accuracy during electron radiotherapy.