X-ray microbeam radiation therapy calculations, including polarisation effects, with the Monte Carlo code EGS5

Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is currently being considered for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. A high degree of dosimetric accuracy (around 5%) is known to be required for a successful outcome in conventional radiation therapy, Modelling of MRT beams, measurements and treatments have been performed with Monte Carlo methods using the code EGS5, which features improved physics models for low energy scattering processes including linear polarisation. Polarisation of the X-ray source leads to distortions in beam profiles that exceed the usual clinical tolerances. Changes in the energy spectrum also effect the response of many dosimetry systems. Anatomical (CT) data has been used in the dose calculations and the manipulation of dose data with the open-source software treatment planning system, PlanUNC, is demonstrated, in order that the therapeutic effects of the different components, e.g. the microbeam and scattered photons, can examined separately in relation to relevant anatomy.