A Novel Anthropomorphic Phantom Composed of Tissue-Equivalent Materials for Use in Experimental Radiotherapy: Design, Dosimetry and Biological Pilot Study

The production of anthropomorphic phantoms generated from tissue-equivalent materials is challenging but offers an excellent copy of the typical environment encountered in typical patients. High-quality dosimetry measurements and the correlation of the measured dose with the biological effects elicited by it are a prerequisite in preparation of clinical trials with novel radiotherapy approaches. We designed and produced a partial upper arm phantom from tissue-equivalent materials for use in experimental high-dose-rate radiotherapy. The phantom was compared to original patient data using density values and Hounsfield units obtained from CT scans. Dose simulations were conducted for broad-beam irradiation and microbeam radiotherapy (MRT) and compared to values measured in a synchrotron radiation experiment. Finally, we validated the phantom in a pilot experiment with human primary melanoma cells.