ABSTRACT
Objective To verify the methodology for auditing dosimetric parameters in reference and non-reference conditions with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs).Methods Under reference and non-reference conditions,the established TLD methods were used to observe the absorbed dose variations with depth,SSD,field size and 45 wedges for 10 photon beams at 5 hospitals.Dosimetric parameters,including doses at Dmax points in axis,on 5 electron beams of 9 MeV were measured.The measurement results were compared between the TLDs and plane parallel ionization chambers.Results For 6 MV photon beams,the relative deviation of between finger ionization chamber method and TLD chips was in the range of-1.7% to 5.4% under on-axis non-reference conditions,and-6.3% to-0.6% under off-axis non-reference conditions,respectively,all within the range of ≤ ± 7% as required by the IAEA.The relative deviation between plane parallel chamber and TLD method was-2.3% to 3.7%,within ± 5% as required by the IAEA.Conclusions It is convenient and feasible to use TLD method for quality audits of dosimetric parameters in radiotherapy.
ABSTRACT
Objective To verify the reliability of radiotherapy dosimetric parameters in reference and non-reference conditions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs).Methods Using the established TLD method,the dose variations with different radiation field sizes and 45 ° wedge plate were verified for 10 photon beams of 6 MV,together with dosimetric parameters at the point of maximum axial dose for 4 electron beams of 9 MeV under reference and non-reference conditions.Comparisons were made between TLD results and finger ionization chamber results.Results The average relative deviation,for 6 MV photon beams,between TLD results and finger ionization chamber measurements was 4.7%,within ± 7% as required by the IAEA.The average relative deviation,for 9 MeV electron beam,between TLD results and plane parallel ionization chamber measurements was 2.4 %,not beyond ± 5% permitted by IAEA.Conclusions Using TLD method to verify the radiotherapy dosimetric parameters in reference and non-reference conditions was reliable,simple and feasible.
ABSTRACT
Absorbed dose to water based protocols recommended that plane-parallel chambers be calibrated against calibrated cylindrical chambers in a high energy electron beam with R50>7 g/cm2 (E> or =16 MeV). However, such high-energy electron beams are not available at all radiotherapy centers. In this study, we are compared the absorbed dose to water determined according to cross-calibration method in a high energy electron beam of 16 MeV and in electron beam energies of 12 MeV below the cross-calibration quality remark. Absorbed dose were performed for PTW 30013, Wellhofer FC65G Farmer type cylindrical chamber and for PTW 34001, Wellhofer PPC40 Roos type plane-parallel chamber. The cylindrical and the plane-parallel chamber to be calibrated are compared by alternately positioning each at reference depth, zref=0.6R50-0.1 in water phantom. The DW of plane-parallel chamber are derived using across-calibration method at high-energy electron beams of 16, 20 MeV. Then a good agreement is obtained the DW of plane-parallel chamber in 12 MeV. The agreement between 20 MeV and 12 MeV are within 0.2% for IAEA TRS-398.