SU‐E‐T‐388: Evaluation of Electronic Brachytherapy Dose Distributions in Tissue Equivalent Materials

Abstract

Purpose:To study the measured and calculated dose distributions for electronic brachytherapy (EBT) in various tissue equivalent homogenous materials.Methods:Calculated dose distributions in water were generated using published TG‐43 parameters in Varian BrachyVision software for a 50 kVp, 50 cm Xoft source. Dose distributions were measured within a 3D‐scanning tank using dosimeters including: PTW 0.125 cc, pin‐point, and parallel‐plate ion chambers, Sun Nuclear “Edge” diode and Gafchromic EBT3 film. Multi‐channel film dosimetry was used in film analysis. EBT3 film curves were calibrated via radial dose comparison to both independently measured and published data. The resulting film calibration was utilized to measure dose distributions created by titanium filtered source utilized in clinical brachytherapy applications. Data was collected within homogenous PMMA, vinyl, polystyrene, paraffin, and water‐equivalent plastic phantoms.Results:Ion‐chamber data was corrected to effective points of measurement and normalized prior to comparison between calculated and measured dose distributions. Measurements made in water and water equivalent materials compared well with results from treatment planning software. The maximum percent differences (relative to water) observed between 1 cm and 3.5 cm depth from source for each of the phantom materials are as follows: PMMA 35%, polystyrene 41%, plastic‐water 23%, vinyl 115%, and paraffin 46%.Conclusion:The increased probability of photoelectric interactions occurring within the patient during electronic brachytherapy will emphasize the radiological differences between varying human tissues in dose deposition. These differences can Result in clinically significant dose perturbations and it is therefore recommended to move to a model based dose calculation, as outlined in TG‐186, to improve the dosimetric accuracy of low energy EBT.