Validation of the physical and RBE-weighted dose estimator based on PHITS coupled with a microdosimetric kinetic model for proton therapy

Takada, Kenta*; Sato, Tatsuhiko   ; Kumada, Hiroaki*; Koketsu, Junichi*; Takei, Hideyuki*; Sakurai, Hideyuki*; Sakae, Takeji*

Evaluation of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE)-weighted dose is indispensable in the treatment planning of proton and carbon ion therapies. In this study, we validate the RBE-weighted dose calculated by microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM) in tandem with the Monte Carlo particle transport code PHITS for proton therapy using the full simulation geometry for the beam line of the Proton Medical Research Center at the University of Tsukuba. The physical dose and RBE-weighted dose on the central axis for a 155 MeV monoenergetic and spread-out Bragg peak beam of 60 mm width are evaluated by the method. The calculated results generally agree with the corresponding experimental data very well, though overestimations by approximately 3.2% and 15% at the maximum are observed for the physical and RBE-weighted doses, respectively. This research completes the computational microdosimetric approach based on a combination of PHITS and MKM for all types of radiotherapy that require RBE evaluations.