Monte Carlo as a tool for treatment planning verification

The dramatic advance in the modem linacs has led to the implementation of new treatment techniques involving very small fields and non-homogeneous fluence beams. This has revealed some deficiencies in the commercial treatment planning systems as some effects, which are negligible in standard Radiotherapy and hence not properly accounted for, become now critical. Monte Carlo is the only method that considers accurately every single boundary crossing and non-equilibrium situation. However, there is still a main drawback for the routinary use of this technique, namely, the long calculation time needed. The aim of this work is then the reduction.