Costanza Panaino

• PhD Student at The University of Manchester

A new technique for range verification in proton beam therapy has been developed. It is based on the detection of the prompt γ rays that are emitted naturally during the delivery of the treatment. A spectrometer comprising 16 LaBr3(Ce) detectors in a symmetrical configuration is employed to record the prompt γ rays emitted along the proton path. An...

A new method to locate, with millimetre uncertainty, in 3D, a γ -ray source emitting multiple γ -rays in a cascade, employing conventional LaBr3(Ce) scintillation detectors, has been developed. Using 16 detectors in a symmetrical configuration the detector energy and time signals, resulting from the γ -ray interactions, are fed into a new source...

Purpose In proton therapy precise knowledge of the beam range is essential to guarantee the treatment’s efficacy and to avoid unnecessary toxicities. Over a fractionated course of treatment anatomical changes can severely impact the delivered dose distribution from that planned; evaluation of these changes on a fraction-by-fraction basis is essenti...

In proton beam therapy precise knowledge of the proton beam range is essential to guarantee the treatment’s efficacy and to avoid unnecessary toxicities. Unlike photon beams, protons stop inside the patient’s body, therefore a direct detection of the distal fall-off is impossible. One technique to determine the beam range is to detect the prompt ga...

The development and validation of a beam line MC model is an essential part of many projects, particularly those involving particle therapy. This is often a very time consuming and sometimes costly computational process. However, many experiments use the same beam lines and the medical physics community would benefit greatly from a structured code...

Background: This study was based on a survey to investigate perceptions of hadrontherapy of the members of the Italian Association of Medical Physics (AIFM). The survey was digitally submitted to the 991 members between the end of January and the beginning of April 2016. Methods: A 19-item questionnaire was designed focusing on advantages and di...

Purpose: To validate and apply a method for the quantification of breathing-induced prostate motion (BIPM) for patients treated with radiotherapy and implanted with electromagnetic transponders for prostate localization and tracking. Methods: For the analysis of electromagnetic transponder signal, dedicated software was developed and validated w...

Purpose: Definition of the optimal treatment schedule for high-risk prostate cancer is under debate. A combination of photon intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) on pelvis with a carbon ion boost might be the optimal treatment scheme to escalate the dose on prostate and deliver curative dose with respect to normal tissue and quality of dose dis...

Introduction A system (Calypso, Varian Medical Systems) based on the localization of electromagnetic transponders (ELM-TRNs) permanently implanted in the prostate allows real-time tracking during radiotherapy treatments. Purpose Development and validation of a dedicated software for ELM-TRNs signal analysis to quantify the amplitude of the intra-f...