THERMAL AND FAST NEUTRON DOSE EQUIVALENT DISTRIBUTION MEASUREMENT OF 15-MV LINEAR ACCELERATOR USING A CR-39 NUCLEAR TRACK DETECTORS.

The main purpose of this study is to measure the contribution of the thermal and fast neutron dose along the central axis of the 15 MV Elekta Precise linac in a tissue equivalent phantom. In order to achieve this purpose, different points were selected in three field sizes of 5 × 5 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2 and 15 × 15 cm2. Fast and thermal neutrons were measured using CR-39 nuclear track detectors with and without thermal neutron converter of 10B, respectively. According to the results, the fast neutron dose equivalent was decreased as the depth increased (field size 5 × 5, 10 × 10 and 15 × 15 cm2 fall from 0.35 to 0.15, 0.5 to 0.3 and 0.5 to 0.3, respectively). Thermal dose equivalent was increased as the depth increased in the tissue equivalent phantom (field size 5 × 5, 10 × 10 and 15 × 15 cm2 rise from 0.1 to 0.4, 0.4 to 0.8 and 0.4 to 0.9, respectively). In conclusion, at depth <3 cm, most existing neutrons are fast and CR-39 films are sensitive to fast neutrons; therefore, they are more appropriate than thermoluminescent dosemeters in measuring neutron dose equivalent.

A Monte Carlo study on dose perturbation due to dental restorations in a 15 MV photon beam.

AIM: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of dose perturbation due to common dental restoration materials in the head and neck radiotherapy with a 15 MV external photon beam. SETTING AND DESIGN: Teeth with three dental restorations such as tooth filled with Amalgam, Ni-Cr alloy, and Ceramco were simulated by MCNPX Monte Carlo code. In this simulation, the dental materials were exposed by a 15 MV photon beam from a Siemens Primus linac, inside a water phantom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Siemens Primus linear accelerator and a phantom including: tooth only, tooth with Amalgam, tooth with Ni-Cr alloy, and tooth with Ceramco were simulated by MCNPX Monte Carlo code, separately. The percentage dose change was evaluated relative to dose in water versus depth for these samples on the beam's central axis. The absolute dose by prescription of 100 cGy dose in water phantom at 3.0 cm depth was calculated for water, tooth, tooth with Amalgam, tooth with Ni-Cr alloy, and tooth with Ceramco. RESULTS: The maximum percentage dose change is related to tooth with Ni-Cr alloy, tooth, tooth with Ceramco, and tooth with Amalgam with amounts of 7.73%, 6.95%, 4.7%, and 3.06% relative to water at 0.75 cm depth, respectively. When 100.0 cGy dose was prescribed at 3.1 cm, the maximum absolute dose was 201.0% in the presence of tooth with Ni-Cr alloy at 0.75 cm. CONCLUSION: Introduction of the compositions of dental restorations can improve the accuracy of dosimetric calculations in treatment planning and protect the healthy tissues surrounding teeth from a considerable overdose.

Determination of task group 43 dosimetric parameters for CSM40 137Cs source for use in brachytherapy.

The CSM40 137Cs source model is currently being used in clinical brachytherapy. According to the recommendations of task group No. 43 (TG-43) of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, dosimetry parameters of brachytherapy sources should be determined by two independent investigators before their clinical use. The aim of this study was to determine the TG-43 dosimetry parameters for a medium-dose-rate CSM40 137Cs source. The determined dosimetric parameters included the air kerma strength, dose rate constant, radial dose function, and anisotropy function. To determine the source's dosimetric parameters, the CSM40 source was stimulated by the Monte Carlo N-Particle MCNP code. The TG-43 parameters were compared with the data of Vijande et al. on this source. The results showed that the dosimetry parameters for this source had good agreement with the results of Vijande et al. The dosimetric parameters of the CSM40 source can be used in treatment-planning systems incorporating this source model. The data can also be used for the quality assurance of treatment-planning systems.

Evaluation of hypothetical (153)Gd source for use in brachytherapy.

AIM: The purpose of this work is to evaluate the dosimetric parameters of a hypothetical (153)Gd source for use in brachytherapy and comparison of the dosimetric parameters with those of (192)Ir and (125)I sources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dose rate constant, the radial dose function and the two dimensional (2D) anisotropy function data for the hypothetical (153)Gd source were obtained by simulation of the source using MCNPX code and then were compared with the corresponding data reported by Enger et al. A comprehensive comparison between this hypothetical source and a (192)Ir source with similar geometry and a (125)I source was performed as well. RESULTS: Excellent agreement was shown between the results of the two studies. Dose rate constant values for the hypothetical (153)Gd, (192)Ir, (125)I sources are 1.173 cGyh(-1) U(-1), 1.044 cGyh(-1) U(-1), 0.925 cGyh(-1) U(-1), respectively. Radial dose function for the hypothetical (153)Gd source has an increasing trend, while (192)Ir has more uniform and (125)I has more rapidly falling off radial dose functions. 2D anisotropy functions for these three sources indicate that, except at 0.5 cm distance, (192)Ir and (125)I have more isotropic trends as compared to the (153)Gd source. CONCLUSION: A more uniform radial dose function, and 2D anisotropy functions with more isotropy, a much higher specific activity are advantages of (192)Ir source over (153)Gd. However, a longer half-life of (153)Gd source compared to the other two sources, and lower energy of the source with respect to (192)Ir are advantages of using (153)Gd in brachytherapy versus (192)Ir source.

A Monte Carlo study on electron and neutron contamination caused by the presence of hip prosthesis in photon mode of a 15 MV Siemens PRIMUS linac.

Several investigators have pointed out that electron and neutron contamination from high-energy photon beams are clinically important. The aim of this study is to assess electron and neutron contamination production by various prostheses in a high-energy photon beam of a medical linac. A 15 MV Siemens PRIMUS linac was simulated by MCNPX Monte Carlo (MC) code and the results of percentage depth dose (PDD) and dose profile values were compared with the measured data. Electron and neutron contaminations were calculated on the beam's central axis for Co-Cr-Mo, stainless steel, Ti-alloy, and Ti hip prostheses through MC simulations. Dose increase factor (DIF) was calculated as the ratio of electron (neutron) dose at a point for 10 × 10 cm² field size in presence of prosthesis to that at the same point in absence of prosthesis. DIF was estimated at different depths in a water phantom. Our MC-calculated PDD and dose profile data are in good agreement with the corresponding measured values. Maximum dose increase factor for electron contamination for Co-Cr-Mo, stainless steel, Ti-alloy, and Ti prostheses were equal to 1.18, 1.16, 1.16, and 1.14, respectively. The corresponding values for neutron contamination were respectively equal to: 184.55, 137.33, 40.66, and 43.17. Titanium-based prostheses are recommended for the orthopedic practice of hip junction replacement. When treatment planning for a patient with hip prosthesis is performed for a high-energy photon beam, attempt should be made to ensure that the prosthesis is not exposed to primary photons.