Comparison of Dose Enhancement among Gold, Gadolinium and Silver Nanoparticles With High Dose Rate Sources in Brachytherapy: A Monte Carlo Study

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the dose enhancement factor achieved by Gold, Gadolinium and Silver nanoparticles in brachytherapy. For this purpose, the Geant۴ Monte Carlo code was utilized to simulate three brachytherapy sources: Yb-۱۶۹, Co-۶۰, and Ir-۱۹۲. To verify the accuracy of our simulations, the obtained values of dose rate constants and radial dose functions were compared with corresponding published values for these sources. Materials and Methods: To investigate the dose enhancement factor, a cubic soft tissue phantom with dimensions of ۳۰ cm was simulated. Gold, Gadolinium and Silver nanoparticles, each with a diameter of ۵۰ nm and a concentration of ۱۸ mg/ml, were then separately simulated within a tumor within a volume of ۱x۱x۱ cm۳ cubic. Results: The findings indicated that the dose enhancement within the tumor in the presence of Gold, Gadolinium and Silver nanoparticles using the Co-۶۰ source was ۰.۹۵%, ۰.۸۲%, and ۰.۷۹%, respectively. Additionally, for the Ir-۱۹۲ source, these values were reported as ۳.۲۷%, ۲.۱۱%, and ۱.۲۵%, respectively, and for the Yb-۱۶۹ source, the dose enhancements were ۳۶%, ۳۲.۷%, and ۲۳.۸%. Conclusion: Based on the simulation results, it can be concluded that Gold nanoparticles provide a greater dose enhancement compared to Gadolinium and Silver. The highest dose enhancement occurs when using low-energy sources such as Yb-۱۶۹. Therefore, the clinical use of these nanoparticles is recommended for dose enhancement in brachytherapy.

کلیدواژه ها:

Dose enhancement ، Brachytherapy ، Nanoparticles ، Monte Carlo simulations