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A comparative treatment planning study has been undertaken between standard photon delivery techniques,b intensity modulated photon methods and spot scanned protons in order to investigate the merits and limitations of each of these treatment approaches.

Plans for each modality were performed using CT scans and planning information for nine patients with varying indications and lesion sites and the results have been analysed using a variety of dose and volume based parameters.

Over all cases, it is predicted that the use of protons could lead to a reduction of the total integral dose by a factor three compared to standard photon techniques and a factor two compared to IM photon plans. In addition, in all but one Organ at Risk (OAR) for one case, protons are predicted to reduce both mean OAR dose and the irradiated volume at the 50% mean target dose level compared to both …