On the parametrization of lateral dose profiles in proton radiation therapy

Hadrontherapy requires a good knowledge of the physical interactions of the particles when they cross the biological tissue: one of the aspects that determine the characterization of the beam is the study of the lateral profile. We study different parametrizations for the lateral dose profile of protons beam in water considering different energies at different depth. We compare six functions: we start from the well known Gaussian and Double Gaussian parametrizations and also analyse more recent parametrization obtained with Triple Gaussian and Double Gaussian Lorentz-Cauchy functions. Finally we propose alternative parametrizations based on the Gauss-Rutherford and Gauss-Levy functions. The goal is to improve the performances of the actual treatment planning used in proton beam therapy by suggesting alternative approaches to the Gaussian description typically employed.