Absorbed dose from contaminant electrons inside and outside megavoltage photon beams. 1993

L Raffaele, and I Ielo, and N Settineri, and G Tosi, and M G Brambilla, and F Cattani
Istituto Nazionale Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova.

Megavoltage photon beams interactions with any object on their path give rise to secondary photons and electrons. This fact is particularly important in Radiotherapy. These secondary particles produce an unwanted dose contribution both on beam path and outside the geometrical edges of the irradiation field. The goal of this report is to investigate the dose contribution due to secondary electrons. Ionization measurements were made in a polystyrene phantom by means of a Markus ionization chamber, with X-ray beams produced by a "SL5" Philips and by a "Saturne 43" GE CGR linear accelerators. Specific fields for nasopharynx treatment and for supra-diaphragmatic lymphatic chains treatment ("mantle" fields) were investigated. Both depth ionization values on beam path and depth and surface ionization values outside the geometrical edges of the field were obtained. These measurements were made with and without specific electron filters for 6, 15, 25 MV X-ray beams. The results obtained prove that, both on the beam path and outside the geometrical borders of the field, electron contamination reduction by means of specific filters is important only for lower energy X-ray beams. For this sort of beams, the percentage reduction of electron contamination was found. Moreover, the amount of electron contamination outside the field geometrical edge versus field size was evaluated.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008961 Models, Structural A representation, generally small in scale, to show the structure, construction, or appearance of something. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed) Model, Structural,Structural Model,Structural Models
D010315 Particle Accelerators Devices which accelerate electrically charged atomic or subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons or ions, to high velocities so they have high kinetic energy. Betatrons,Linear Accelerators,Accelerator, Linear,Accelerator, Particle,Accelerators, Linear,Accelerators, Particle,Betatron,Linear Accelerator,Particle Accelerator
D011829 Radiation Dosage The amount of radiation energy that is deposited in a unit mass of material, such as tissues of plants or animal. In RADIOTHERAPY, radiation dosage is expressed in gray units (Gy). In RADIOLOGIC HEALTH, the dosage is expressed by the product of absorbed dose (Gy) and quality factor (a function of linear energy transfer), and is called radiation dose equivalent in sievert units (Sv). Sievert Units,Dosage, Radiation,Gray Units,Gy Radiation,Sv Radiation Dose Equivalent,Dosages, Radiation,Radiation Dosages,Units, Gray,Units, Sievert
D004583 Electrons Stable elementary particles having the smallest known negative charge, present in all elements; also called negatrons. Positively charged electrons are called positrons. The numbers, energies and arrangement of electrons around atomic nuclei determine the chemical identities of elements. Beams of electrons are called CATHODE RAYS. Fast Electrons,Negatrons,Positrons,Electron,Electron, Fast,Electrons, Fast,Fast Electron,Negatron,Positron
D000042 Absorption The physical or physiological processes by which substances, tissue, cells, etc. take up or take in other substances or energy.
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
D017785 Photons Discrete concentrations of energy, apparently massless elementary particles, that move at the speed of light. They are the unit or quantum of electromagnetic radiation. Photons are emitted when electrons move from one energy state to another. (From Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 11th ed)

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