Comment on "Comparing gold nano-particle enhanced radiotherapy with protons, megavoltage photons and kilovoltage photons: A Monte Carlo simulation" by Lin et al [Phys. Med. Biol. 59 (2014) 7675-7689]

TL;DR

This paper critiques the methodology of Lin et al.'s study on gold nanoparticle dose enhancement in radiotherapy, highlighting potential misunderstandings in the literature.

Contribution

It provides a critical analysis of previous Monte Carlo simulations on GNP-enhanced radiotherapy, clarifying methodological issues.

Findings

Identifies two methodological caveats in Lin et al.'s study

Highlights potential for confusion in literature about GNP dose enhancement

Emphasizes need for careful interpretation of simulation results

Abstract

In their article published in Phys. Med. Biol. 59 (2014) 7675-7689, Lin et al studied the dose enhancement of of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for proton therapy, which they compared with the case of photon irradiation. This comment points out two caveats to the methodlogy used by Lin et al that may not be evident to readers and may contribute to confusion in the literature about the dose enhancement by gold nanoparticles.