Comparison between measured peripheral doses of a Siemens Oncor linear accelerator and AAPM Report No 50 data. (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hayes, Eamonn; Bradley, Fintan; Ramalingam, Lalan
• Is Part Of: Physica medica. Volume 42(2017)
• Page Start: 362
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Medical physics -- Periodicals; Biophysics -- Periodicals; Biophysics -- Periodicals; Imagerie médicale -- Périodiques; Radiothérapie -- Périodiques; Rayons X -- Sécurité -- Mesures -- Périodiques; Physique -- Périodiques; Médecine -- Périodiques; 610.153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2017.05.040
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1120-1797

Abstract

Abstract : Treatment of pregnant patients with external beam radiotherapy generally speaking is uncommon. In 2016 we made an assessment of likely foetal doses for a pregnant patient. Foetal dose estimation is an important factor in determining the need to construct bespoke shielding devices to limit foetal dose. AAPM REPORT NO. 50 'Fetal Dose from Radiotherapy with Photon Beams' was consulted for guidance. The Report identifies that the principal sources of dose outside a treated volume are, photon leakage through the treatment head, radiation scattered from the collimators/beam modifiers and radiation scattered within the patient from the treatment beams. The Report describes techniques and presents data that can aid in planning and treating pregnant patients using photon beams. We present results of pre-treatment phantom measurements using a Siemens Oncor 6 MV photon beam. Our peripheral dose phantom measurements are shown to be comparable with the data presented in AAPM Report 50, allowing us to use the data in this report with some confidence.