Biomaterial Database

An investigation of dose changes for therapeutic kilovoltage X-ray beams with underlying lead shielding. 2007

Robin Hill, and Brendan Healy, and Lois Holloway, and Clive Baldock

Institute of Medical Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Department of Radiation Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. robin.hill@email.cs.nsw.gov.au

Kilovoltage x-ray beams are used to treat cancer on or close to the skin surface. Many clinical cases use high atomic number materials as shielding to reduce dose to underlying healthy tissues. In this work, we have investigated the effect on both the surface dose and depth doses in a water phantom with lead shielding at depth in the phantom. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo code was used to simulate the water phantom and to calculate the surface doses and depth doses using primary x-ray beam spectra derived from an analytical model. The x-ray beams were in the energy range of 75-135 kVp with field sizes of 2, 5 and 8 cm diameter. The lead sheet was located beneath the water surface at depths ranging from 0.5-7.5 cm. The surface dose decreased as the lead was positioned closer to the water surface and as the field size was increased. The variation in surface dose as a function of x-ray beam energy was only small but the maximum reduction occurred for the 100 kVp x-ray beam. For the 8 cm diameter field with the lead at 1 cm depth and using the 100 kVp x-ray beam, the surface dose was reduced to 0.898 of the surface dose in the water phantom only. Measured surface dose changes, using a Farmer-type ionization chamber, agreed with the Monte Carlo calculated doses. Calculated depth doses in water with a lead sheet positioned below the surface showed that the dose fall-off increased as the lead was positioned closer to the water surface as compared to the depth dose in the water phantom only. Monte Carlo calculations of the total x-ray beam spectrum at the water surface showed that the total fluence decreased due to a reduction in backscatter from within the water and very little backscatter from the lead. The mean energy of the x-ray spectrum varied less than 1 keV, with the lead at 1 cm beneath the water phantom surface. As the Monte Carlo calculations showed good agreement with the measured results, this method can be used to verify surface dose changes in clinical situations where measurements are difficult. The clinical impact of the use of lead must be considered in the dose prescription for patients being treated with kilovoltage x-ray beams.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009010	Monte Carlo Method	In statistics, a technique for numerically approximating the solution of a mathematical problem by studying the distribution of some random variable, often generated by a computer. The name alludes to the randomness characteristic of the games of chance played at the gambling casinos in Monte Carlo. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed, 1993)	Method, Monte Carlo
D011874	Radiometry	The measurement of radiation by photography, as in x-ray film and film badge, by Geiger-Mueller tube, and by SCINTILLATION COUNTING.	Geiger-Mueller Counters,Nuclear Track Detection,Radiation Dosimetry,Dosimetry, Radiation,Geiger Counter,Geiger-Mueller Counter Tube,Geiger-Mueller Probe,Geiger-Mueller Tube,Radiation Counter,Counter Tube, Geiger-Mueller,Counter Tubes, Geiger-Mueller,Counter, Geiger,Counter, Radiation,Counters, Geiger,Counters, Geiger-Mueller,Counters, Radiation,Detection, Nuclear Track,Dosimetries, Radiation,Geiger Counters,Geiger Mueller Counter Tube,Geiger Mueller Counters,Geiger Mueller Probe,Geiger Mueller Tube,Geiger-Mueller Counter Tubes,Geiger-Mueller Probes,Geiger-Mueller Tubes,Probe, Geiger-Mueller,Probes, Geiger-Mueller,Radiation Counters,Radiation Dosimetries,Tube, Geiger-Mueller,Tube, Geiger-Mueller Counter,Tubes, Geiger-Mueller,Tubes, Geiger-Mueller Counter
D011879	Radiotherapy Dosage	The total amount of radiation absorbed by tissues as a result of radiotherapy.	Dosage, Radiotherapy,Dosages, Radiotherapy,Radiotherapy Dosages
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014965	X-Rays	Penetrating electromagnetic radiation emitted when the inner orbital electrons of an atom are excited and release radiant energy. X-ray wavelengths range from 1 pm to 10 nm. Hard X-rays are the higher energy, shorter wavelength X-rays. Soft x-rays or Grenz rays are less energetic and longer in wavelength. The short wavelength end of the X-ray spectrum overlaps the GAMMA RAYS wavelength range. The distinction between gamma rays and X-rays is based on their radiation source.	Grenz Ray,Grenz Rays,Roentgen Ray,Roentgen Rays,X Ray,X-Ray,Xray,Radiation, X,X-Radiation,Xrays,Ray, Grenz,Ray, Roentgen,Ray, X,Rays, Grenz,Rays, Roentgen,Rays, X,X Radiation,X Rays,X-Radiations
D019047	Phantoms, Imaging	Devices or objects in various imaging techniques used to visualize or enhance visualization by simulating conditions encountered in the procedure. Phantoms are used very often in procedures employing or measuring x-irradiation or radioactive material to evaluate performance. Phantoms often have properties similar to human tissue. Water demonstrates absorbing properties similar to normal tissue, hence water-filled phantoms are used to map radiation levels. Phantoms are used also as teaching aids to simulate real conditions with x-ray or ultrasonic machines. (From Iturralde, Dictionary and Handbook of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Imaging, 1990)	Phantoms, Radiographic,Phantoms, Radiologic,Radiographic Phantoms,Radiologic Phantoms,Phantom, Radiographic,Phantom, Radiologic,Radiographic Phantom,Radiologic Phantom,Imaging Phantom,Imaging Phantoms,Phantom, Imaging