Evaluation of the effect of silicone implants in a breast radiotherapy treatment: A Monte Carlo approach

• Published in: Radiation physics and chemistry (Oxford, England : 1993) England : 1993), 2023-12, Vol.213, p.111249, Article 111249
• Main Authors: de Cássia Justino, Paula, Neves, Lucio Pereira, Belinato, Walmir, Vidal da Silva, Rogério Matias, de Almeida Ribeiro, Cintia, de Souza Santos, William, Perini, Ana Paula
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Dosimetry; Monte Carlo simulation; Radiotherapy; Virtual anthropomorphic phantom
• ISSN: 0969-806X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2023.111249

Since 2020, breast cancer is the most common among women, and in South America, Brazil presents the highest rates. After mastectomy and breast reconstruction, commonly silicone breast implants are used to replace the removed breast tissue, and radiation therapy is performed to reduce its recurrence in the remaining tissues and nearby lymph nodes. The Monte Carlo simulation using the MCNP6.2 code accompanied by a female virtual anthropomorphic phantom (FASH3) were utilized to simulate the radiation therapy scenario. These tools were used to determine the absorbed doses in the patient's organs and tissues, evaluating the effect of the breast silicone prosthesis on the dose distribution, applying a dose of 50.4 Gy in a LINAC Varian 2100c with a 6 MV beam. The eye lens and the gonads suffered the highest effects of scattered radiation by the silicone prosthesis, increasing the absorbed dose values by 2.10% and 1.51%, respectively, when compared to normal breast tissue. •The effect of breast silicone implant in the scattered radiation was evaluated.•The MCNP 6.2 and FASH3 phantom were used to determine organ absorbed doses.•The organs with highest dose increases due to silicone were close to taget organ.•The dose distribution did not present a significant change with silicone implant.