Real-time in-vivo dosimetry for DaRT. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Su, Fang-Yi; Tran, Linh T; Biasi, Giordano; Petasecca, Marco; Lerch, Michael L F; Cutajar, Dean L; Bucci, Joseph; Jackson, Michael; Rosenfeld, Anatoly B
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 1662(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Physics -- Congresses; 530.5
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1662/1/012031
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-6588

Abstract

Abstract: Diffusing alpha-emitters radiation therapy (DaRT) is a revolutionary brachytherapy technique used to treat solid tumours. Implant seeds are coated with 224 Ra which, along its shortlived daughter atoms, emits alpha particles of high linear energy transfer (LET) and of high relative biological efficiency (RBE), creating a tumour-killing dose distribution a few mm wide. Those alpha particles are of energy between 5.67 and 8.78 MeV. DaRT is under investigation in clinical trials, but there currently is no obvious solution for dosimetry aimed at quality assurance of treatment. This study introduces alpha-RAD, a dosimeter based on a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) sensor technology. Alpha-RAD was characterized with 241 Am, which emits alpha particles of energy 5.49 MeV. The results showed that alpha-RAD had good linearity with dose, with the signal increasing linearly in the range from 0 to 6.84 Gy. Also, an external bias in the range between 15 and 60 V, applied on the gate of alpha-RAD during irradiation, would optimize sensitivity to alpha particles of energies typical of DaRT. Alpha-RAD, owing to its compactness, can fit into a brachytherapy needle, to be placed next to 224 Ra seed implants in the tumour, for real-time in vivo dosimetry.