Updated Solid Water™ to water conversion factors for I125 and Pd103 brachytherapy sources

Autor: Shahid B. Awan, Sharifeh A. Dini, Ali S. Meigooni, Nathan S. Thompson
Rok vydání: 2006
Předmět:
Zdroj: Medical Physics. 33:3988-3992
ISSN: 0094-2405
Popis: Dosimetric characteristics of brachytherapy sources are normally determined in water using a Monte Carlo simulation technique and in water equivalent phantom material using both experimental and Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The consensuses of these results are then calculated for clinical applications by converting experimental data obtained in water equivalent material to water using a conversion factor. These conversion factors are normally determined as a ratio of the Monte Carlo-simulated dose rate constant in liquid water to the dose rate constant in a water-equivalent phantom material. However, it has been noted that conversion factors utilized by some investigators have been derived using incorrect phantom material composition and incorrect cross-sectional data information. The impact of errors associated with the cross-sectional data and chemical composition of the phantom material used in dosimetric evaluation of brachytherapy sources has been investigated in this project. Results of these investigations have shown that the use of Solid Water trade mark sign with 1.7% calcium content, as compared to the 2.3% value stated by the manufacturer, may lead to 5% and 9% differences in conversion factors for {sup 125}I and {sup 103}Pd, respectively.
Databáze: OpenAIRE