Monte Carlo radiation transport in external beam radiotherapy

Abstract

The use of Monte Carlo in radiation transport is an effective way to predict absorbed dose distributions. Monte Carlo modeling has contributed to a better understanding of photon and electron transport by radiotherapy physicists. The aim of this review is to introduce Monte Carlo as a powerful radiation transport tool. In this review, photon and electron transport algorithms for Monte Carlo techniques are investigated and a clinical linear accelerator model is studied for external beam radiotherapy. The statistical uncertainties and variance reduction techniques for Monte Carlo simulation are also discussed.