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Clinical brachytherapy with neutron emitting 252 Cf sources and adherence to AAPM TG‐43 dosimetry protocol
Author(s) -
Rivard Mark J.,
Wierzbicki Jacek G.,
Van den Heuvel Frank,
Martin Rodger C.,
McMahon Robert R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.598472
Subject(s) - dosimetry , oak ridge national laboratory , brachytherapy , monte carlo method , neutron source , imaging phantom , neutron , calibration , physics , nuclear medicine , medical physics , nuclear engineering , materials science , computational physics , nuclear physics , optics , medicine , mathematics , radiation therapy , engineering , statistics , quantum mechanics
Using Monte Carlo methods, neutron dosimetry for252 Cf Applicator Tube (AT) type medical sources available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has for the first time been determined in terms of TG‐43 formalism. This approach, as compared to previous “along‐away” formalisms, demonstrates the relative angular independence of dose rate data, when the geometry factor has been removed. As the ORNL‐made252 Cf AT type sources are considerably physically larger than most clinical sources used today, the radial dose function increases for radii less than 3.0 mm due to breakdown of the line source model. A comparison of the252 Cf neutron radial dose function with those for other medical sources revealed similarities with that from137 Cs . Differences with respect to previous252 Cf AT source neutron dosimetry data generally increased at increasing distances. This was attributed to differences in the various252 Cf AT source models and phantom compositions. The current status of252 Cf medical source fabrication and calibration procedures at ORNL is presented.