Radiation therapy (RT) is a constantly evolving therapeutic technique; improvements are continuously being introduced for both methodological and practical aspects. Among the features that have undergone a huge evolution in recent decades, dose calculation algorithms are still rapidly changing. This process is propelled by the awareness that the agreement between the delivered and calculated doses is of paramount relevance in RT, since it could largely affect clinical outcomes. The aim of this work is to provide an overall picture of the main dose calculation algorithms currently used in RT, summarizing their underlying physical models and mathematical bases, and highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, referring to the most recent studies on algorithm comparisons. This handy guide is meant to provide a clear and concise overview of the topic, which will prove useful in helping clinical medical physicists to perform their responsibilities more effectively and efficiently, increasing patient benefits and improving the overall quality of the management of radiation treatment.

中文翻译：

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体外放射治疗的剂量计算算法：从业者概述

放射治疗 (RT) 是一种不断发展的治疗技术；在方法和实践方面不断进行改进。在近几十年来经历了巨大演变的特征中，剂量计算算法仍在迅速变化。这一过程是由于意识到递送剂量和计算剂量之间的一致性在放疗中至关重要，因为它可能在很大程度上影响临床结果，从而推动了这一过程。这项工作的目的是提供当前在 RT 中使用的主要剂量计算算法的整体情况，总结它们的基本物理模型和数学基础，并突出它们的优点和缺点，参考最近关于算法比较的研究。这个方便的指南旨在提供对该主题的清晰简洁的概述，