• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.277-283
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• 1995

Purpose : This study was performed to measure dose alteration at the air-tissue interface resulting from rebuild-up to the loss of charged particle equilibrium in the tissues around the air-tissue interfaces. Materials and Methods : The 6 and 10-MV photon beam in dual energy linear accelerator were used to measure the surface dose at the air-tissue interface The polystyrene phantom sized $25{\times}25{\times}5\;cm^3$ and a water phantom sized $29{\times}29{\times}48\;cm^3$ which incorporates a parallel-plate ionization chamber in the distal side of air gap were used in this study. The treatment field sizes were $5{\times}5\;cm^2,\;10{\times}10\;cm^2\;and\;20{\times}20\;cm^2$. Air cavity thickness was variable from 10 mm to 50 mm. The observed-expected ratio (OER) was defined as the ratio of dose measured at the distal junction that is air-tissue interface to the dose measured at the same point in a homogeneous phantom. Results : In this experiment, the result of OER was close or slightly over than 1.0 for the large field size but much less (about 0.565) than 1.0 for the small field size in both photon energy. The factors to affect the dose distribution at the air-tissue interface were the field size, the thickness of air cavity. and the photon energy. Conclusion : Thus, the radiation oncologist should take into account dose reduction at the air-tissue interface when planning the head and neck cancer especially pharynx and laryngeal lesions, because the dose can be less nearly $29{\%}$ than predicted value.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2008

The main benefit of proton therapy over photon beam radiotherapy is the absence of exit dose, which offers the opportunity for highly conformal dose distributions to target volume while simultaneously irradiating less normal tissue. For proton beam therapy two patient specific beam modifying devices are used. The aperture is used to shape the transverse extension of the proton beam to the shape of the tumor target and a patient-specific compensator attached to the block aperture when required and used to modify the beam range as required by the treatment plan for the patient. A block of range shifting material, shaped on one face in such a way that the distal end of the proton field in the patient takes the shape of the distal end of the target volume. The mechanical quality assurance of range compensator is an essential procedure to confirm the 3 dimensional patient-specific dose distributions. We proposed a new quality assurance method for range compensator based on image processing using X-ray tube of proton therapy treatment room. The depth information, boundaries of each depth of plan compensatorfile and x-ray image of compensator were analyzed and presented over 80% matching results with proposed QA program.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2018

In this study, we compared the measured values of the effective beam size of standard gamma irradiator with the simulation results to provide a useful means to the effective beam area determination. Results of the simulation and measured using ion chamber was distributed in a relative error of 4.5 ~ 7.3% of the case of air kerma rate. The size of the effective beam area is when the simulation was implemented in the horizontal direction 27cm, 21.6cm vertical direction, the measured result using a film was obtained similar results with the horizontal direction 26.5cm, 21.9cm vertical direction. The relative error in the horizontal direction is 1.85% and 1.38% vertical effective beam area was also similarly distributed around the field gamma rays. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the effectiveness of the simulation was sufficient for the gamma irradiation system. In particular, it is small relative errors in the effective beam size than the air kerma rate is considered to be due to the size of the beam is determined by geometric factors rather than the capacity of the standard source. A further study is needed to improve the reliability of the photon energy distribution diagram using simulation.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.195-201
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• 2002

Several investigators have presented the effects of external magnetic fields on the dose distributions for clinical electron and photon beams. We focus the low energy electron beam with more lateral scatter In this study we calculated the beam profiles for an clinical electron beam of 6 MeV with longitudinal magnetic fields of 0.5 T-3.0 T using a Monte Carlo code. The principle of dose enhancements in the penumbra region is to deflect the laterally scattered electrons from its initial direction by the skewness of the laterally scattered electrons along the direction of magnetic field lines due to Lorentz force under longitudinal magnetic field. To discuss the dose enhancement effect on the penumbra area from the calculated results, we introduced the simple term of penumbra reduction ratio (PRR), which is defined as the percentage difference between the penumbra with and without magnetic field at the same depth. We found that the average PRR are 33%, and 49% over the depths of 1.5 cm, 2.0 cm, and 2.4 cm for the magnetic fields of 2.0 T and 3.0 T respectively. For the case of 0.5 T and 1.0 T the effects of magnetic filed were not observed significantly. In order to obtain the dose enhancement effects by the external magnetic field, we think that its strength should be more than 2 T approximately. We expect that the PRR would be saturated to 50-60% with magnetic fields of 3 T-5 T As a result of these calculations we found that the penumbra widths can be reduced with increased magnetic fields. This Penumbra reduction is explained as a result of electron lateral spread outside the geometrical edges of the beam in a longitudinal magnetic field. This means that the electron therapy benefits from the external magnetic fields.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.269-276
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• 2009

Radiation treatment techniques using photon beam such as three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) as well as intensity modulated radiotherapy treatment (IMRT) demand accurate dose calculation in order to increase target coverage and spare healthy tissue. Both jaw collimator and multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) for photon beams have been used to achieve such goals. In the Pinnacle3 treatment planning system (TPS), which we are using in our clinics, a set of model parameters like jaw collimator transmission factor (JTF) and MLC transmission factor (MLCTF) are determined from the measured data because it is using a model-based photon dose algorithm. However, model parameters obtained by this auto-modeling process can be different from those by direct measurement, which can have a dosimetric effect on the dose distribution. In this paper we estimated JTF and MLCTF obtained by the auto-modeling process in the Pinnacle3 TPS. At first, we obtained JTF and MLCTF by direct measurement, which were the ratio of the output at the reference depth under the closed jaw collimator (MLCs for MLCTF) to that at the same depth with the field size $10{\times}10\;cm^2$ in the water phantom. And then JTF and MLCTF were also obtained by auto-modeling process. And we evaluated the dose difference through phantom and patient study in the 3D-CRT plan. For direct measurement, JTF was 0.001966 for 6 MV and 0.002971 for 10 MV, and MLCTF was 0.01657 for 6 MV and 0.01925 for 10 MV. On the other hand, for auto-modeling process, JTF was 0.001983 for 6 MV and 0.010431 for 10 MV, and MLCTF was 0.00188 for 6 MV and 0.00453 for 10 MV. JTF and MLCTF by direct measurement were very different from those by auto-modeling process and even more reasonable considering each beam quality of 6 MV and 10 MV. These different parameters affect the dose in the low-dose region. Since the wrong estimation of JTF and MLCTF can lead some dosimetric error, comparison of direct measurement and auto-modeling of JTF and MLCTF would be helpful during the beam commissioning.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2013

Purpose: High-energy radiotherapy with 10 MV or higher develops photoneutron through photonuclear reaction. Photoneutron has higher radiation weighting factor than X-ray, thus low dose can greatly affect the human body. An accurate dosimetric calculation and consultation are needed. This study compared and analyzed the dose change of photoneutron in terms of space according to the size of photon beam energy and treatment methods. Materials and Methods: To measure the dose change of photoneutron by the size of photon beam energy, patients with the same therapy area were recruited and conventional plans with 10 MV and 15 MV were each made. To measure the difference between the two treatment methods, 10 MV conventional plan and 10 MV IMRT plan was made. A detector was placed at the point which was 100 cm away from the photon beam isocenter, which was placed in the center of $^3He$ proportional counter, and the photoneutron dose was measured. $^3He$ proportional counter was placed 50 cm longitudinally superior to and inferior to the couch with the central point as the standard to measure the dose change by position changes. A commercial program was used for dose change analysis. Results: The average integral dose by energy size was $220.27{\mu}Sv$ and $526.61{\mu}Sv$ in 10 MV and 15 MV conventional RT, respectively. The average dose increased 2.39 times in 15 MV conventional RT. The average photoneutron integral dose in conventional RT and IMRT with the same energy was $220.27{\mu}Sv$ and $308.27{\mu}Sv$ each; the dose in IMRT increased 1.40 times. The average photoneutron integral dose by measurement location resulted significantly higher in point 2 than 3 in conventional RT, 7.1% higher in 10 MV, and 3.0% higher in 15 MV. Conclusion: When high energy radiotherapy, it should consider energy selection, treatment method and patient position to reduce unnecessary dose by photoneutron. Also, the dose data of photoneutron needs to be systematized to find methods to apply computerization programs. This is considered to decrease secondary cancer probabilities and side effects due to radiation therapy and to minimize unnecessary dose for the patients.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.211-216
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• 2009

This study determined the photostimulated luminescence(PSL), thermoluminescence(TL), and electron spin resonance(ESR) properties of wheat and corn irradiated with 0-10 kGy of gamma-ray or electron-beam. PSL values of both irradiated grains, regardless of radiation source, were 241-429 photons/sec in nonirradiated samples(negative values, defined as ${\leq}700$ photons/60 sec) and 5,528-40,870 photons/60 sec in irradiated ones(positive values, defined as ${\geq}5,000$ photons/sec), thereby distinguishing irradiated from nonirradiated samples. The TL glow curves($TL_1$) peaked at around $300^{\circ}C$ in nonirradiated samples, but at about $180^{\circ}C$ in irradiated samples, at high intensities, regardless of radiation source. The TL ratios($TL_1/TL_2$) calculated to strengthen $TL_1$ data reliability were less than 0.03 for nonirradiated samples and over 0.20 for irradiated materials, in good agreement with threshold values for nonirradiated(${\leq}0.1$) and irradiated(${\geq}0.1$) samples. ESR analysis was not applicable in identification of irradiated wheat and corn. Electron-beam irradiation resulted in higher PSL and TL signals than did gamma-rays, at the same applied doses.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2015

This study is to evaluate thedosiemtric leaf gap (DLG) at different depths for dynamic intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in order to evaluate the absolute dose and dose distribution according to the different positions of tumors and compare the measured and planned the multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission factor (T.F.) and DLG values. We used the 6 MV and 15 MV photon beam from linear accelerator with a Millenium 120 MLC system. After the import the DICOM RT files, we measured the absolute dose at different depths (2 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, and 15 cm) to calculate the MLC T. F. and DLG. For 6 MV photon beam, the measured both MLC T. F. and DLG were increased with the increase the measured depths. When applying to treatment planning systemas fixed transmission factor with its value measured under the reference condition at depth of 5 cm, although the difference fixed and varied transmission factor is not significant, the dosiemtric effect could be presented according to the depth that the tumor is placed. Therefore, we are planning to investigate the treatment planning system whichthe T. F. and DLG factor according to at the different depths can be applied in the patient-specific treatment plan.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2004

The relationship between the dose calculated with a radiotherapy treatment planning system (RTPS) and CT number verses the relative electron density curve was investigated for various CT voltages and beam qualifies. We obtained the relationship between the CT numbers and electron densities of the tissue equivalent materials for various CT voltages and beam qualifies. At lower CT voltages, the higher density materials, like cortical bone, showed larger CT numbers and the soft tissues showed no variations. We peformed a phantom study in a RTPS, where a phantom consisted of lung and bone legions in water. We calculated the dose received behind the lung and bone regions for 6 MV photon beams, in which the regions below the lung, water and bone received higher doses in this listed order. The result was the same for 10 MV photon beams. For the clinical application, the doses were calculated for the lung and pelvis. No difference was observed when using different electron density conversion tables with various CT voltages from a same CT. A relative dose difference of 1.5% was obtained when the CT machine for the density conversion table was different from that for the CT image for planning.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.5019-5024
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the dosimetric and clinical feasibility of volumetric modulated arc based hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (RapidArc) treatment for large acoustic schwannoma (AS >10cc). Materials and Methods: Ten AS patients were immobilized using BrainLab mask. They were subject to multimodality imaging (magnetic resonance and computed tomography) to contour target and organs at risk (brainstem and cochlea). Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) based stereotactic plans were optimized in Eclipse (V11) treatment planning system (TPS) using progressive resolution optimizer-III and final dose calculations were performed using analytical anisotropic algorithm with 1.5 mm grid resolution. All AS presented in this study were treated with VMAT based HSRT to a total dose of 25Gy in 5 fractions (5fractions/week). VMAT plan contains 2-4 non-coplanar arcs. Treatment planning was performed to achieve at least 99% of PTV volume (D99) receives 100% of prescription dose (25Gy), while dose to OAR's were kept below the tolerance limits. Dose-volume histograms (DVH) were analyzed to assess plan quality. Treatments were delivered using upgraded 6 MV un-flattened photon beam (FFF) from Clinac-iX machine. Extensive pretreatment quality assurance measurements were carried out to report on quality of delivery. Point dosimetry was performed using three different detectors, which includes CC13 ion-chamber, Exradin A14 ion-chamber and Exradin W1 plastic scintillator detector (PSD) which have measuring volume of $0.13cm^3$, $0.009cm^3$ and $0.002cm^3$ respectively. Results: Average PTV volume of AS was 11.3cc (${\pm}4.8$), and located in eloquent areas. VMAT plans provided complete PTV coverage with average conformity index of 1.06 (${\pm}0.05$). OAR's dose were kept below tolerance limit recommend by American Association of Physicist in Medicine task group-101(brainstem $V_{0.5cc}$ < 23Gy, cochlea maximum < 25Gy and Optic pathway <25Gy). PSD resulted in superior dosimetric accuracy compared with other two detectors (p=0.021 for PSD.