Verification of a commercial implementation of the Macro-Monte-Carlo electron dose calculation algorithm using the virtual accelerator approach.

In this work, the accuracy of the implementation of the Macro Monte Carlo electron dose calculation algorithm into the radiation therapy treatment planning system Eclipse is evaluated. This implementation - called eMC - uses a particle source based on the Rotterdam Initial Phase-Space model. A three-dimensional comparison of eMC calculated dose to dose distributions resulting from full treatment head simulations with the Monte Carlo code package EGSnrc is performed using the 'virtual accelerator' approach. Calculated dose distributions are compared for a homogeneous tissue equivalent phantom and a water phantom with air and bone inhomogeneities. The performance of the eMC algorithm in both phantoms can be considered acceptable within the 2%/2 mm Gamma index criterion. A systematic underestimation of dose by the eMC algorithm within the air inhomogeneity is found. Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier GmbH.