A Monte Carlo based analytic model of the in-room neutron ambient dose equivalent for a Mevion gantry-mounted passively scattered proton system.

The goal of this study was to develop a Monte Carlo (MC)-based analytical model that can predict the in-room ambient dose equivalent from a Mevion gantry-mounted passively scattered proton system. The Mevion S250 and treatment vault were simulated using the MCNPX MC code. The results of the in-room neutron dose measurements, using an FHT 762 WENDI-II detector, were employed to benchmark the MC-derived values. After tuning the MCNPX MC code, for the same beam delivery parameters, the code was used to calculate the neutron spectra and ambient dose equivalent in the vault and at varying angles from the isocenter. Then, based on the calculations, an analytical model was reconstructed and data were fitted to derive the model parameters at 95% confidence intervals (CI). The MCNPX codes were tuned to within about 19% of the measured values for most of the measurements in the vault. For the maze, up to 0.08 mSv Gy-1 discrepancies were found between the experimental measurements and MCNPX calculated results. The analytical model showed up to 18% discrepancy for distances between 100 and 600 cm from the isocenter compared to the MC calculations. The model may underestimate the neutron ambient dose equivalent up to 21% for distances less than 100 cm from the isocenter. The proposed analytical model can be used to estimate the contribution of the secondary neutron dose from the Mevion S250 for the design of local shielding inside the proton therapy treatment vault.

A Monte Carlo-based analytic model of neutron dose equivalent for a mevion gantry-mounted passively scattered proton system for craniospinal irradiation.

PURPOSE: To calculate in- and out-of-field neutron spectra and dose equivalent, using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, for a Mevion gantry-mounted passively scattered proton system in craniospinal irradiation. An analytical model based on the MC calculations that estimates in- and out-of-field neutron dose equivalent from proton Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) was also developed. METHODS: The MCNPX MC code was used to simulate a Mevion S250 proton therapy system. The simulated proton depth doses and profiles for pristine and spread-out Bragg peaks were benchmarked against the measured data. Previous measurements using extended-range Bonner spheres were used to verify the calculated neutron spectra and dose equivalent. Using the benchmarked results as a reference condition, a correction-based analytical model was reconstructed by fitting the data to derive model parameters at 95% confidence interval. Sensitivity analysis of brass aperture opening, thickness of the Lucite (PMMA) range compensator, and modulation width was performed to obtain correction parameters for nonreference conditions. RESULTS: For the neutron dose equivalent per therapeutic proton dose, the MCNPX calculated dose equivalent matched the measured values to within 8%. The benchmarked neutron dose equivalent at the isocenter was 41.2 and 20.8 mSv/Gy, for cranial and spinal fields, respectively. For in- and out-of-field neutron dose calculations, the correction-based analytical model showed up to 17% discrepancy compared to the MC calculations. The correction factors may provide a conservative estimation of neutron dose, especially for depth ≤ 5 cm and regions underneath the brass aperture. CONCLUSION: The proposed analytical model can be used to estimate the contribution of the neutron dose to the overall CSI treatment dose. Moreover, the model can be employed to estimate the neutron dose to the implantable cardiac electronic devices.

Effect of targeted gold nanoparticles size on acoustic cavitation: An in vitro study on melanoma cells.

When a liquid is irradiated with high intensities of ultrasound irradiation, acoustic cavitation occurs. Since cavitation can be fatal to cells, it is utilized to destroy cancer tumors. Considering cavitation onset and bubbles collapse, the required ultrasonic intensity threshold can be significantly decreased in the presence of nanoparticles in a liquid. The effects of gold nanoparticles size on acoustic cavitation were investigated in this in vitro study. For this purpose, ultrasonic waves were used at intensities of 0.5, 1 and 2 W/cm2 and frequency of 1 MHz in the presence of F-Cys-GNPs with 15, 23 and 79 nm sizes and different concentrations (0.2, 1 and 5 µg/ml) in order to determine their effects on the viability of melanoma cells. This was performed at different incubation times 12, 24 and 36 h. The viability of melanoma cells decreased at higher concentrations and sizes of F-Cys-GNPs. The lowest viability of melanoma cells was seen in those containing 79, 23, and 15 nm F-Cys-GNPs. This finding could be explained from the concept that the nucleation sites on the surface of GNPs increase with an increase in size of GNPs, which results in an increase in the number of cavitation bubbles. Acoustic cavitation in the presence of gold nanoparticles can be used as a way for improving therapeutic effects on the tumors.

Sensitivity analysis of Monte Carlo model of a gantry-mounted passively scattered proton system.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to present guidance on the correlation between treatment nozzle and proton source parameters, and dose distribution of a passive double scattering compact proton therapy unit, known as Mevion S250. METHODS: All 24 beam options were modeled using the MCNPX MC code. The calculated physical dose for pristine peak, profiles, and spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) were benchmarked with the measured data. Track-averaged LET (LETt ) and dose-averaged LET (LETd ) distributions were also calculated. For the sensitivity investigations, proton beam line parameters including Average Energy (AE), Energy Spread (ES), Spot Size (SS), Beam Angle (BA), Beam Offset (OA), and Second scatter Offset (SO) from central Axis, and also First Scatter (FS) thickness were simulated in different stages to obtain the uncertainty of the derived results on the physical dose and LET distribution in a water phantom. RESULTS: For the physical dose distribution, the MCNPX MC model matched measurements data for all the options to within 2 mm and 2% criterion. The Mevion S250 was found to have a LETt between 0.46 and 8.76 keV.µm-1 and a corresponding LETd between 0.84 and 15.91 keV.µm-1 . For all the options, the AE and ES had the greatest effect on the resulting depth of pristine peak and peak-to-plateau ratio respectively. BA, OA, and SO significantly decreased the flatness and symmetry of the profiles. The LETs were found to be sensitive to the AE, ES, and SS, especially in the peak region. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the importance of considering detailed beam parameters, and identifying those that resulted in large effects on the physical dose distribution and LETs for a compact proton therapy machine.

On the spectral characterization of radiochromic films irradiated with clinical proton beams.

Radiochromic films have been widely studied for clinical dosimetry in conventional external beam radiation therapy. With an increase in practice of proton therapy, such films are being conveniently used; however, their spectroscopic characterization for this modality is lacking. This work investigated the response of the EBT3 radiochromic films irradiated in a Mevion S250™ clinical proton beam. Dose, dose rate, inter-batch, sensitivity, and linear energy transfer (LET) dependencies of the films were studied. Pieces of the radiochromic films from different batches were irradiated using a spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) proton beam at dose levels between 0.1-15 Gy. Absorption spectra were measured in the wavelength range of 400-800 nm with 2.5 nm resolution. For comparison, the optical density of the films was measured using a flatbed scanner. The net absorbance spectra showed two characteristic absorption bands centered at 636 nm and 585 nm. However, a saturation effect, manifested as broadening/splitting appearance, was observed in the 636 nm band for doses beyond a certain batch-dependent level ~4-10 Gy, in the three different film batches studied. The differences in the spectral shape led to dose-response curves with variable sensitivity. In general a high spectral sensitivity was observed in 0.1-6 Gy range for the three film batches. For a given dose, no significant change in the spectra was observed with change in the dose rate. No significant dependency on the LET was observed for the EBT3 films irradiated with proton beams with dose-averaged LETs ranging from 1.14-6.50 keV µm-1 studied in this work. However, at a given dose, ~5% lower spectral response was observed in the films irradiated with protons compared to their counterparts irradiated with photon beams.

Prediction of skin dose in low-kV intraoperative radiotherapy using machine learning models trained on results of in vivo dosimetry.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to implement a machine learning model to predict skin dose from targeted intraoperative (TARGIT) treatment resulting in timely adoption of strategies to limit excessive skin dose. METHODS: A total of 283 patients affected by invasive breast carcinoma underwent TARGIT with a prescribed dose of 6 Gy at 1 cm, after lumpectomy. Radiochromic films were used to measure the dose to the skin for each patient. Univariate statistical analysis was performed to identify correlation of physical and patient variables with measured dose. After feature selection of predictors of in vivo skin dose, machine learning models stepwise linear regression (SLR), support vector regression (SVR), ensemble with bagging or boosting, and feed forward neural networks were trained on results of in vivo dosimetry to derive models to predict skin dose. Models were evaluated by tenfold cross validation and ranked according to root mean square error (RMSE) and adjusted correlation coefficient of true vs predicted values (adj-R2 ). RESULTS: The predictors correlated with in vivo dosimetry were the distance of skin from source, depth-dose in water at depth of the applicator in the breast, use of a replacement source, and irradiation time. The best performing model was SVR, which scored RMSE and adj-R2 , equal to 0.746 [95% confidence intervals (CI), 95% CI 0.737,0.756] and 0.481 (95% CI 0.468,0.494), respectively, on the tenfold cross validation. CONCLUSION: The model trained on results of in vivo dosimetry can be used to predict skin dose during setup of patient for TARGIT and this allows for timely adoption of strategies to prevent of excessive skin dose.

Dual Function of Gold Nanoparticles in Synergism with Mitoxantrone and Microwave Hyperthermia Against Melanoma Cells

Background: This study was performed to evaluate any synergetic effects of mitoxantrone (MX) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as dual therapeutic approach, along with microwave (MW) hyperthermia for melanoma cancer. Methods: Various tests were performed on the DFW melanoma cell line in the presence of MX and different concentrations of GNPs, with and without MW irradiation. MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol­2-yl)-2,5-iphenyltetrazolium bromide] assays were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the used therapeutic methods in terms of cell survival. Relative lethal synergism (RLS) was calculated as the ratio of cell death following hyperthermia in the presence of a treatment agent to that after applying hyperthermia in the absence of the same treatment agent. Results: Results showed MX and GNPs under MW irradiation to provide maximum cell death (P < 0.001 compared to the other groups). The mean RLS for MW hyperthermia along with the MX-GNP combination was 4.14, whereas in the absence of GNP the value for MX chemotherapy was 0.94. Conclusion: MX chemotherapy in the presence of different concentrations of GNP did not alter cell survival as compared to in its absence.

Evaluation of the Effects of Prostate Radiation Therapy on Occludin Expression and Ultrasonography Characteristics of the Bladder.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of radiation dose in prostate radiation therapy (RT) on occludin expression and ultrasonography characteristics of the bladder. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Urine samples of 64 prostate RT patients were collected before, at regular intervals during, and 3 months after RT. Occludin expression analysis was performed, and bladder wall echogenicity and echotexture were investigated by ultrasound and the gray-scale histogram analysis method. The bladder equivalent uniform dose (EUD) was derived from individually produced dose treatment plan for each patient. Clinical scoring for bladder-specific symptoms was done using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Acute Radiation Morbidity Scoring Criteria Scale. RESULTS: Thirty patients (47%) experienced at least 1 of the studied bladder symptoms (grade ≥1 endpoints), including urinary pain, frequency, urgency, straining, incontinence, hematuria, dysuria, and nocturia. For these patients there were significant changes in urine occludin levels after starting the treatment compared with the baseline urine samples (P=.023). The mean bladder EUD that caused a significant change in occludin level, which occurred after the 15th RT session, was 26.9 Gy (range, 13.2-36.5 Gy, P=.020). In all patients a significant reduction in bladder echogenicity (P=.0137) and a significant change in its echotexture (P=.047) was found after the 10th RT session, after which the EUD to the bladder reached 17.9 Gy (range, 8.8-24.3 Gy). CONCLUSIONS: Significant changes in occludin expression level and bladder wall echogenicity and echotexture occurred during prostate RT. Our findings suggest that a significant reduction in bladder echogenicity and increase in occludin expression during treatment can be associated with acute urinary complications.

Effects of radiofrequency radiation in the presence of gold nanoparticles for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction: The most common type of kidney cancer is renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which accounts for more than 80% of all kidney cancers. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of radiofrequency (RF) radiation in the presence of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for the treatment of RCC. Materials and Methods: Human embryonic kidney (HEK) cancer cells were divided into 6 groups. Various tests were performed on HEK cells in the presence of RF and GNPs. In order to investigate the radiation effects on the cells' survival, MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-iphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay was performed at different days during and post-irradiation period. The repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) method was used for statistical analysis of the cells' survival using SPSS version 16.0. A significant level of 0.05 was considered to the tests. Results: Using the ANOVA test, a significant decrease in cell's survival was seen in the RF exposed group 3 compared to the control group (P=0.035). While, differences were not significant between RF exposed group 2 and the control group (P>0.05). A significant decrease in cell's survival in the RF exposed groups 5 (P=0.025) and 6 (P=0.018) at the presence of GNP compared to the control group was seen. Conclusion: Results of this study showed that, this method can be efficiently used for RCC treatment as an alternative to nephrectomy. More follow up in vivo studies on mammalians are needed to investigate the potential of the presented method for clinical applications.

ELISA reader does not interfere by mobile phone radiofrequency radiation.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of mobile phones can physically cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in medical environments; can also cause errors in immunoassays in laboratories. The ELISA readers are widely used as a useful diagnostic tool for Enzymun colorimetric assay in medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the ELISA reader could be interfered by the exposure to the 900 MHz cell phones in the laboratory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human serum samples were collected from 14 healthy donors (9 women and 5 men) and each sample was divided into four aliquots and was placed into four batches for the in-vitro quantitative determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). During colorimetric reading of the first, second, and third batches, the ELISA reader (Stat Fax 2100, Awareness Technology, Inc., USA) was exposed to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 W exposure of 900 MHz radiation, respectively. For the forth batch (control group), no radiation was applied. All experiments were performed comparing ELISA read out results of the I, II, and III batches with the control batch, using the Wilcoxon test with criterion level of P = 0.050. RESULTS: The final scores in the exposed batches I, II, and III were not statistically significant relative to the control batch (P > 0.05). The results showed that 900 MHz radiation exposure did not alter the ELISA measured levels of hCG hormone in I (P = 0.219), II (P = 0.909), and III (P = 0.056) batches compared to the control batch. CONCLUSION: This study showed that ELISA reader does not interfere by mobile phone RF radiation at a closed contact (less than 5 cm distance). However, we recommend that medical institutions discuss these issues in the context of their specific use of technologies and frame a policy that is clear and straightforward to guide staff, patients, and visitors.

The application of the linear quadratic model to compensate the effects of prolonged fraction delivery time on a Balb/C breast adenocarcinoma tumor: An in vivo study.

Purpose To investigate the effect of increasing the overall treatment time as well as delivering the compensating doses on the Balb/c breast adenocarcinoma (4T1) tumor. Materials and methods A total of 72 mice were divided into two aliquots (classes A and B) based on the initial size of their induced tumor. Each class was divided into a control and several treatment groups. Among the treatment groups, group 1 was continuously exposed to 2 Gy irradiation, and groups 2 and 3 received two subfractions of 1 Gy over the total treatment times of 30 and 60 min, respectively. To investigate the effect of compensating doses, calculated based on the developed linear quadratic model (LQ) model, the remaining two groups (groups 4 and 5) received two subfractions of 1.16 and 1.24 Gy over the total treatment times of 30 and 60 min, respectively. The growing curves, Tumor Growth Time (TGT), Tumor Growth Delay Time (TGDT) and the survival of the animals were studied. Results For class A (tumor size ≤ 30 mm(3)), the average tumor size in the irradiated groups 1-5 was considerably different compared to the control group as one unit (day) change in time, by amount of -160.8, -158.9, +39.4 and +44.0, respectively. While these amounts were +22.0, +17.9, -21.7 and -0.1 for class B (tumor size ≥ 400 mm(3)). For the class A of animals, the TGT and TGDT parameters were significantly lower (0 ≤ 0.05) for the groups 2 and 3, compared to group 1. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between groups 1, 4 and 5 in this class. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between all the treated groups in class B. Conclusions Increasing total treatment time affects the radiobiological efficiency of treatment especially in small-sized tumor. The compensating doses derived from the LQ model can be used to compensate the effects of prolonged treatment times at in vivo condition.

Potential health concerns of trace elements and mineral content in commonly consumed greenhouse vegetables in Isfahan, Iran.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the potential health concerns of trace elements and mineral content of commonly consumed greenhouse vegetables in Isfahan, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six kinds of greenhouse vegetables namely; Raphanus sativus (Radish), Cucumis sativus (Cucumber), Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato), green Capsicum annuum (Green bell pepper), yellow C. annuum (Yellow bell pepper), and red C. annuum (Red bell pepper) were collected from Isfahan greenhouses, between December 2012 and March 2013. The vegetables were analyzed in order to determine the concentrations of trace elements and trace minerals using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). RESULTS: The results of INAA showed that the concentrations of aluminum, bromine, cobalt, rubidium and strontium of these vegetables were varied from 7.2 to 28.4 mg/kg, 0.6-11.7 mg/kg, 0.1-0.5 mg/kg, 4.2-8.4 mg/kg, and 12.0-141.0 mg/kg, respectively. The trace mineral concentrations of As, Cr, Cs, Sc, Th, and U in all of the samples were less than the defined tolerable upper intake level. CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed that considering the measured trace elements and mineral content levels, Isfahan greenhouse vegetables do not impose any serious health harmful effects for individuals in the studied area due to their meal consumptions.

(99m)Tc-Phytate Lymphoscintigraphy for Detection of Sentinel Node: Preliminary Results of the First Year's Clinical Experience in Isfahan, Iran.

Sentinel lymph node is the first regional lymph node that drains the lymph from the primary tumor. It is potentially the first node to receive the seeding of lymph-borne metastatic cells. This study aimed to discuss lymphoscintigraphy procedural guidelines for detection of sentinel node using (99m)Tc-Phytate in Isfahan, Iran. Moreover, the preliminary results of the first year's clinical experience of lymphoscintigraphy in Isfahan, Iran are also presented. A total of 36 consecutive sentinel node procedures were performed following our protocol in March 2013 to March 2014. For all 36 patients, after intradermal injection of 0.5-1 mCi of (99m)Tc-Phytate, 5, 30 and 120 min with hands up lymphoscintigraphy was performed. All procedures were performed in a 1-day setting with (99m)Tc-Phytate injection in intradermal volume of about 0.1 cc. At 5, 30 and 120 min after injection, anterior and lateral images (4 min), were acquired using gamma-camera (energy 140 keV, window 15-20% and LEHR collimator). For all patients, at least one axillary sentinel lymph node was detected. For three patients, 2 SNs were seen. The images 5 min after injection showed at least one axillary sentinel node in 18 of 36 patients. However for the remaining patients, more delayed images (after 30 and 120 min) were needed. Although, no changes were seen in 120 min images compared to 30 min images. Considering the used protocol, from the evaluated data it can be concluded that lymphoscintigraphy after 30 min periareolar injection of about 0.5-1 mCi (99m)Tc-Phytate in an intradermal volume of about 0.1 cc yields an axillary sentinel node in all the patients. Imaging 120 min after injection is of no additional value and can be omitted.

Estimation of cell response in fractionation radiotherapy using different methods derived from linear quadratic model.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to use various theoretical methods derived from the Linear Quadratic (LQ) model to calculate the effects of number of subfractions, time intervals between subfractions, dose per subfraction, and overall fraction time on the cells' survival. Comparison of the results with experimental outcomes of melanoma and breast adenocarcinoma cells was also performed. Finally, the best matched method with experimental outcomes is introduced as the most accurate method in predicting the cell response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The most widely used theoretical methods in the literature, presented by Keall et al., Brenner, and Mu et al., were used to calculate the cells' survival following radiotherapy with different treatment schemes. The overall treatment times were ranged from 15 to 240 minutes. To investigate the effects of number of subfractions and dose per subfraction, the cells' survival after different treatment delivery scenarios were calculated through fixed overall treatment times of 30, 60 and 240 minutes. The experimental tests were done for dose of 4 Gy. The results were compared with those of the theoretical outcomes. RESULTS: The most affective parameter on the cells' survival was the overall treatment time. However, the number of subfractions per fractions was another effecting parameter in the theoretical models. This parameter showed no significant effect on the cells' survival in experimental schemes. The variations in number of subfractions per each fraction showed different results on the cells' survival, calculated by Keall et al. and Brenner methods (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mu et al. method can predict the cells' survival following fractionation radiotherapy more accurately than the other models. Using Mu et al. method, as an accurate and simple method to predict the cell response after fractionation radiotherapy, is suggested for clinical applications.

Spiritual Well-Being for Increasing Life Expectancy in Palliative Radiotherapy Patients: A Questionnaire-Based Study.

Spiritual well-being in patients with an advanced cancer has been found to positively correlate with subjective well-being, lower pain levels, hope and positive mood states, high self-esteem, social competence, purpose in life, and overall quality of life. In this regard, Quran recitation is stated to be an efficient way to increase patient spirituality and also to handle life's everyday challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of listening, reading, and watching the text of the Holy Quran, called (in this study) Quran recitation, for increasing life expectancy (LE) in palliative radiotherapy patients admitted to Radiotherapy Department of Seyed alshohada Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. A questionnaire-based study was carried out on a total of 89 palliative radiotherapy patients between March 2012 and June 2012. Informed consent was obtained. The patients were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire which was designed based on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer C30 Scale Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC C30 Scale QLQ). A computer program (SPSS version 16.0, Chicago, IL, USA) was used, and data were analyzed by the Wilcoxon test and Spearman's rank correlation. All hypotheses were tested using a criterion level of P = 0.05. There was a significant difference for frequency and duration of Quran recitation among patients, before and after the diagnosis of their cancer (P = 0.03). Using the Spearman's rank correlation, it was found that there was a correlation between Quran recitation and subjective well-being (r = 0.352, P < 0.001). Moreover, there was a correlation between Quran recitation and increasing LE (r = 0.311, P < 0.003). More than 60% of the patients stated that more frequent recitation would lead to more LE and/or greater reassurance. On the basis of the present work, listening, reading, and watching the text of the Holy Quran are useful for increasing LE in palliative radiotherapy patients admitted to Radiotherapy Department. In other words, a benefit of Quran recitation on outcome of radiotherapy for palliative radiotherapy patients was found.

The evaluation of trace elements of interest in kidney disease in commonly consumed greenhouse vegetables in Isfahan, Iran: preliminary results.

Trace elements play a significant role in biological processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trace elements of interest in kidney disease in commonly consumed greenhouse vegetables in Isfahan, Iran. Six kinds of greenhouse vegetables namely; Raphanus sativus (Radish), Cucumis sativus (Cucamber), Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato), green Capsicum annuum (Green bell pepper), yellow Capsicum annuum (Yellow bell pepper) and red Capsicum annuum (Red bell pepper) were collected from Isfahan greenhouses, between December 2012 to March 2013. The vegetables were analyzed in order to determine the concentrations of trace elements and trace minerals using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The results of INAA showed that, the concentrations of Fe (Iron), Mn (Manganese) and Zn (Zinc) were varied from <10-50.0 mgkg(-1), 6.8-15.0 mgkg(-1) and 10.0-23.0 mgkg(-1), respectively. The elemental concentration of Fe, Mn and Zn in all of the samples were less than the defined tolerable Upper Intake Level (UIL). The results of this study revealed that, considering the measured trace elements and mineral content levels, Isfahan greenhouse vegetables do not impose any serious health harmful effects for individuals in the studied area due to their meal consumptions.

Evaluation of testicular dose and associated risk from common pelvis radiation therapy in Iran.

This study aimed to investigate testicular dose (TD) and the associated risk of heritable disease from common pelvis radiotherapy of male patients in Iran. In this work, the relation between TD and changes in beam energy, pelvis size, source to skin distance (SSD) and beam directions (anterior or posterior) was also evaluated. The values of TDs were measured on 67 randomly selected male patients during common pelvis radiotherapy using 1.17 and 1.33 MeV, Theratron Cobalt-60 unit at SSD of 80 cm and 9 MV, Neptun 10 PC and 18 MV, GE Saturne 20 at SSD of 100 cm at Seyed-Al Shohada Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. Results showed that, the maximum TD was up to 12% of the tumor dose. Considering the risk factor for radiation-induced heritable disorders of 0.1% per Sv, an excess risk of hereditary disorders of 72 per 10,000 births was conservatively calculated. There was a significant difference in the measured TD using different treatment machines and energies (P < 0.001). The Pearson Correlation test showed that, as expected, there was a correlation between TD and patient's pelvis size (r = 0.275, P < 0.001). Using the student's t-tests, it was found that, there was not a significant difference between TD and beam direction (P = 0.231). Iranian male patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy have the potential of receiving a TD of more than 1 Gy which might result in temporary azoospermia. The risk for induction of hereditary disorders in future generations should be considered as low but not negligible in comparison with the correspondent nominal risk.

Health effects of living near mobile phone base transceiver station (BTS) antennae: a report from Isfahan, Iran.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, by tremendous use of mobile phone telecommunication, a growing concern about the possible health hazards has increased greatly among public and scientists. The mobile phone exposure has been shown to have many effects upon the immune functions, stimulating hormones, mammalian brain, sperm motility and morphology, and neurological pathologies syndrome. The aim of this study was to find out the psychological and psychobiological reactions of the people who are living near mobile phone base transceiver stations (BTS) antenna, in Isfahan, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study on 250 randomly selected inhabitants (133 women and 117 men) was performed in October 2012 till November 2012. The inhabitants were requested to complete a standardized questionnaire that focused on the relevant psychological and psychobiological reactions parameters. A computer program (SPSS version16.0, Chicago, IL) was used for statistical analysis using the Chi-square test with Yates correction. All the data were tested using a criterion level of p = 0.05. RESULTS: The results showed that most of the symptoms such as nausea, headache, dizziness, irritability, discomfort, nervousness, depression, sleep disturbance, memory loss and lowering of libido were statistically significant in the inhabitants living near the BTS antenna (<300 m distances) compared to those living far from the BTS antenna (>300 m). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that cellular phone BTS antenna should not be sited closer than 300 m to populations to minimize exposure of neighbors.