MMCTP : a radiotherapy research environment for Monte Carlo and patient-specific treatment planning

Accurate dose calculations and analysis tools are essential to radiotherapy treatment planning. Radiotherapy deliveries utilize the information provided by the treatment planning system and it is generally accepted that clinical outcome can be improved if accuracy in the dose delivery is further improved. Proven Monte Carlo calculations increase the planning accuracy however, most radiotherapy departments do not use Monte Carlo. The McGill Monte Carlo treatment planning system, MMCTP, provides a flexible software environment to integrate Monte Carlo planning with current and new treatment modalities and deliveries. The MMCTP design consists of a graphical user interface, which runs on a simple workstation connected through standard secure-shell protocol to a cluster for lengthy Monte Carlo calculations. The impact of this tool lies in the fact that it allows for systematic, platform independent, large-scale Monte Carlo planning calculations for different treatment sites. Various measurements and patient recalculations were preformed to validate the software and ensure proper functionality