Clonogenic Survival RBE Calculations in Carbon Ion Therapy: The Importance of the Absolute Values of α and β in the Photon Dose-Response Curve and a Strategy to Mitigate Their Anticorrelation

The computation of the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) is a fundamental step in planning cancer radiotherapy treatments with accelerated ions. Numerical parameters derived analyzing dose response chosen cell line after irradiation to photons (i.e., α and β, namely linear quadratic terms linear-quadratic model survival) are generally used as input biophysical models predict ion RBE. α/β ratio for photon exposure regarded an indicator radiosensitivity. However, previous studies suggest that might not be sufficient parameter RBE relatively high energy transfer (LET) radiation such carbon For fixed α/β, effect absolute values β on computed underexplored. Furthermore, since anticorrelated during fit photon-exposed vitro survival data, different fits could produce sets thus affecting calculations. This article reports combined Mayo Clinic Florida microdosimetric kinetic (MCF MKM) 12C ions LET. we introduce theory-based strategy potentially mitigate anticorrelation between dose-response data.