Effect of Photon Energy on Superficial Dose in the Treatment of Breast Cancer with Tangent Fields

Abstract

The treatment volume for post-mastectomy breast cancer patients treated with radiation therapy includes the entire breast, and in particular the skin. In patients with larger breasts, high energy photons are often used achieve desired levels of dose homogeneity. However, this may result in reduced dose to the more superficial aspects of the breast (i.e., the subcutaneous tissue) if a beam spoiler is not used. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of photon energy on superficial dose in breast cancer patients treated with external beam radiation.