SU-E-T-313: Probe-Type Experimental Dosimetry in Terms of Absorbed Dose to Water in Photon-Brachytherapy a Proposal for a Radiation-Quality Index.

Abstract

In photon-brachytherapy (BT), all data for clinical dosimetry (e.g., the dose-rate constant) are not measured in water, but calculated, based on MC-simulation. To enable the measurement of absorbed dose to water, DW, in the vicinity of a source, the complex energy-dependence and other influence quantities must be considered. The detectors response, R=M/D, is understood as product of a detector-material dependent 'absorbed dose response', Ren, and Rin, the 'intrinsic response'. Ren is described by the Burlin-theory and because of dissimilarities between the detector-material and water, will have energy dependent correction factors which convert Ren into the clinically relevant DW,Qo=MQo × ND,W,Qo. To characterize BT- source-types, we propose a new 'radiation-quality index' QBT=Dprim(2cm)/Dprim(1cm), the ratio of the primary-dose to water at r=2cm to that at the reference distance r=1cm, similar to external beam dosimetry. Although QBT cannot be measured directly, it can be derived from primary and scatter separated dose-data, published as consensus data e.g., in the Carlton AAPM-TG-43-database. Mean QBT-values are: for nine HDR and four PDR 192Ir-sources: 0.2258±0.5%; one 169Yb- source: 0.2142; and one 125I-source: 0.1544. The main benefit of this new QBT-concept is that a type of BT-dosimetry-detector needs to be calibrated only for one reference radiation-quality, e.g., for Q0=192Ir. To measure the dose for different source-types, DW can be determined using calculated radiation-quality conversion factors kQ,QoBT, to be included in the AAPM-database and to be provided by the manufacturer for each detector-type. Typical BT-dosimetry-detectors are plastic scintillation detectors, radiochromic film, thermoluminescence detectors, optically stimulated detectors, and small volume ionization chambers. Recently, different DW(1cm)-primary standards have been developed in several European NMIs, enabling to calibrate BT-radiation- sources and BT-dosimetry-detectors and allowing to verify MC-calculated dose-rate constant values. The proposed definition of QBT has to be discussed internationally to find broad consensus.