Comparison of Bolus Materials to Highly Absorbent Polypropylene and Rayon Cloth. 2017

Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
Radiation Medicine Program, Bahen Chant Radiation Treatment Centre, Stronach Regional Cancer Centre, Southlake Regional Health Centre, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: svisscher@southlakeregional.org.

This study assesses the utility of a highly absorbent polypropylene and rayon cloth (HAPRC) as a bolus material in radiation therapy. A comparison of various bolus materials used clinically at our center to the test bolus material, water-saturated HAPRC, was conducted. The reproducibility of the physical density was assessed by computerized tomography (CT) scanning the water-saturated HAPRC on a uniform density block phantom on multiple occasions, allowing the cloth to dry fully between subsequent CT scans. The cloth was found to have a consistent physical density between 0.8 and 1.0 g/cm3. To evaluate the dosimetric impact of the various bolus materials, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor dosimetry measurements were performed for a 6 MV treatment beam on the anterior surface of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom. The ability of the bolus material to conform to an irregular surface was assessed by CT scanning the various bolus materials overlaying the nose of an anthropomorphic head phantom and another irregularly shaped test object. The HAPRC conforms well to irregular contours and is relatively inexpensive compared to Superflab and thermoplastic sheets. Before implementing the material into the clinical setting, an appropriate process for laundering the material should be determined, for hygienic reasons.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries

Related Publications

Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
January 1988, Minerva chirurgica,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
December 2010, Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany),
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
April 1964, Annales pharmaceutiques francaises,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
August 2021, ACS biomaterials science & engineering,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
June 2013, Environmental science and pollution research international,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
January 2022, Frontiers in microbiology,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
February 2004, American journal of infection control,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
July 2020, European journal of breast health,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
January 1979, Minerva nefrologica,
Scott Visscher, and Erin Barnett
May 2019, Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine,
Copied contents to your clipboard!