Abstract
Purpose: To determine the change in secondary electron spectrum due to gold nanoparticles present in a tumor under a treatment scenario of gold nanoparticle‐aided radiation therapy (GNRT). Method and Materials: The Monte Carlo code, EGSnrc, was modified to obtain the spectrum of secondary electrons. Simulations were performed with a water phantom containing a small gold‐loaded region at various gold concentration levels (0.1–3%). The atom of origin and energy of each Compton and photoelectron was tracked, yielding the secondary electron spectrum of gold and water for each simulation. Results: The presence of gold caused a significant increase in the number of photoelectrons generated. With 0.1%, 1%, and 3% gold in the region of interest, the total energy transferred to electrons through the photoelectric and Compton processes increased by 1.5%, 15%, and 49%, respectively. Conclusion: The spectra generated in this study are helpful for a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for dose enhancement within a gold‐loaded tumor during GNRT. They can also be used as inputs for detailed history Monte Carlo calculations to perform a nanodosimetric estimation of tumor dose enhancement in the vicinity of a gold nanoparticle.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2708-2709 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Journal | Medical physics |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2008 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging