{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T02:51:27Z","timestamp":1768272687534,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":17,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,22]],"date-time":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1724284800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"research group of nuclear physics applied and simulations of the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper examines the dosimetric uncertainty arising from the use of thermoplastic masks in the treatment of head and neck cancer through radiotherapy. This study was conducted through Monte Carlo simulations using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX code), and the theoretical results are compared with radiochromic films. Using material characterization techniques, the compounds of the thermoplastic mask were identified, confirming that most of the material corresponds to the polymer C10H16O4. The theoretical results show increases ranging from 42% to 57.4% in the surface absorbed dose for 6 and 15 MV photon beams, respectively, compared to the absorbed dose without the mask. The experimental data corroborate these findings, showing dose increases ranging from 18.4% to 52.1% compared to the expected surface absorbed dose without the mask. These results highlight the need to consider the bolus effect induced by thermoplastic masks during the precise and safe planning and application of radiotherapy treatment in order to ensure its therapeutic efficacy and minimize the associated risks to patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms25169133","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,26]],"date-time":"2024-08-26T05:16:24Z","timestamp":1724649384000},"page":"9133","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Bolus Effect Caused by Use of Thermoplastic Masks in Head and Neck Radiotherapy Treatments"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-9209-2409","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego A.","family":"Barajas-Lopez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Applied Nuclear Physics and Simulation Research Group, Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia, Tunja 150003, Colombia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cristian C.","family":"Castellanos-Jerez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Radiotherapy Department, Cl\u00ednica de las Am\u00e9ricas AUNA, Medellin 050032, Colombia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9661-1863","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 A.","family":"Diaz-Merchan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Applied Nuclear Physics and Simulation Research Group, Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia, Tunja 150003, Colombia"},{"name":"Radiotherapy Department, Cl\u00ednica de las Am\u00e9ricas AUNA, Medellin 050032, Colombia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3044-3008","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S. A.","family":"Martinez-Ovalle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Applied Nuclear Physics and Simulation Research Group, Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia, Tunja 150003, Colombia"},{"name":"Medical Physics Department, Cl\u00ednica Cancerol\u00f3gica de Boyac\u00e1, Tunja 150003, Colombia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2024, July 20). Global Cancer Observatory. Available online: https:\/\/gco.iarc.who.int\/media\/globocan\/factsheets\/populations\/170-colombia-fact-sheet.pdf."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"C\u00e1ncer de cabeza y cuello","volume":"1","author":"Alonso","year":"2019","journal-title":"BioC\u00e1ncer"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"OIEA (2004). Manual T\u00e9cnico-Pr\u00e1ctico de Radiaci\u00f3n. T\u00e9cnicas de Cuarto de Moldes para Teleterapia, OIEA."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1193","DOI":"10.1016\/0360-3016(94)00371-Q","article-title":"Dose behind various immobilization and beam-modifying devices","volume":"32","author":"Mellenberg","year":"1995","journal-title":"Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"12","article-title":"Dosimetric Effects of Thermoplastic Immobilizing Devices on Surface Dose","volume":"11","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int. J. Med. Phys. Clin. Eng. Radiat. Oncol."},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Polymer Science Learning Center (2024, July 20). Polymer Science Learning Center. 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Phys."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"535","DOI":"10.1007\/s13246-014-0283-8","article-title":"Assessment of skin dose modification caused by application of immobilizing cast in head and neck radiotherapy","volume":"37","author":"Soleymanifard","year":"2014","journal-title":"Australas. Phys. Eng. Sci. Med."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"S37","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmir.2014.08.001","article-title":"An evaluation of two approaches to skin bolus design for patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancers","volume":"46","author":"Luu","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Med. Imaging Radiat. Sci."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1008","DOI":"10.1002\/ca.23331","article-title":"Regional thickness of facial skin and superficial fat: Application to the minimally invasive procedures","volume":"32","author":"Kim","year":"2019","journal-title":"Clin. Anat."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Currie, K.L., and Rising, M.E. (2020). MCNP6 Source Primer: Release 1.0 (No. LA-UR-18-21377), Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL).","DOI":"10.2172\/1599011"},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"3621631","article-title":"A Monte Carlo study of the photon spectrum due to the different materials used in the construction of flattening filters of LINAC","volume":"1","author":"Lagos","year":"2017","journal-title":"Comput. Math. Methods Med."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"ICRU (1989). Tissue Substitutes in Radiation Dosimetry and Measurement, International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"(2024, July 20). Klarity U-Frame Masks. Available online: https:\/\/klarity-medical.com\/en\/product_details\/584."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"(2024, July 20). Mephysto 3.4. Available online: https:\/\/www.ptwdosimetry.com\/en\/services-support\/software-versions."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Molecular Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/25\/16\/9133\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T15:41:51Z","timestamp":1760110911000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1422-0067\/25\/16\/9133"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,22]]},"references-count":17,"journal-issue":{"issue":"16","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8]]}},"alternative-id":["ijms25169133"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijms25169133","relation":{},"ISSN":["1422-0067"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1422-0067","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,22]]}}}