Session Item

Today’s radiation therapy techniques strive to increase treatment accuracy (e.g. by using image guidance), improve dose conformity (e.g. by applying modulated photon or particle therapy) and cope with day-to-day uncertainties (e.g. by enabling adaptive therapy).

To reliably pre-estimate the outcome of such a complex radiation therapy treatment, an accurate prediction of the dose distribution in the patient is crucial. Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation algorithms are nowadays considered the gold standard for accurate dose prediction.

This teaching lecture will cover the key concepts of MC dose calculation and a give brief recap of its history. The drawbacks and benefits of the stochastic approach to the problem will be discussed and techniques of speeding up MC dose calculation will be lined out. The lecture will finally give an overview of the application of MC methods in modern day radiation therapy and attempt to give an outlook on its progression in the field over the next years.