Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Mixed Beam Dosimetry - From Reactor Core to BNCT Patient

Munck af Rosenschöld, Per LU orcid (2003)
Abstract
Accurate radiation dosimetry is of paramount importance in order to ensure safe delivery of radiotherapy, and for the possibility of meaningful evaluation of clinical trials, as the radiation absorbed dose is correlated to tissue response. The aim of the studies described in this thesis was to investigate and devise novel approaches to mixed beam dosimetry in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).



The computer model of the epithermal neutron beam at the Studsvik BNCT facility was described and experimentally verified. Good agreement was generally obtained in phantom (<5%) for the photon and fast neutron absorbed dose, and thermal neutron fluence, which can be seen as verification of the computer model. However, the... (More)
Accurate radiation dosimetry is of paramount importance in order to ensure safe delivery of radiotherapy, and for the possibility of meaningful evaluation of clinical trials, as the radiation absorbed dose is correlated to tissue response. The aim of the studies described in this thesis was to investigate and devise novel approaches to mixed beam dosimetry in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).



The computer model of the epithermal neutron beam at the Studsvik BNCT facility was described and experimentally verified. Good agreement was generally obtained in phantom (<5%) for the photon and fast neutron absorbed dose, and thermal neutron fluence, which can be seen as verification of the computer model. However, the calculated in-air photon kerma (photon contamination) of the beam was about 39% lower than the measured value. The effective energy of this photon contamination was investigated using photon kerma transmission through bismuth. The calculated photon spectrum consisted mainly of 478 keV gamma-rays from boron neutron capture in the collimator, while the measurements indicated a higher effective energy; an actual photon spectrum comprising of 53% and 47% relative 478 keV and 2.22 MeV fluence free in air, respectively, reproduced the measured transmission within 3%.



The validated computer model of the mixed beam was subsequently used to calculate beam-dependent correction factors for the detectors used for dosimetry under reference conditions. Efforts were made to adhere to the (kQ) formalism and practice used in conventional radiotherapy, rather than that previously used in neutron radiotherapy. The calculations showed that commonly used ionization chambers could be employed in the epithermal neutron beam at Studsvik with kQ factors ranging between 1.02 and 1.10. The methodology employed ensured measurements with uncertainties of the thermal neutron fluence (1.4%, 1 SD), and the photon absorbed dose (2.5%, 1 SD) comparable to conventional radiotherapy standards. The measurement of the fast neutron absorbed dose, however, was associated with substantial uncertainties (24%, 1 SD).



Clinical trials ensued, and the treatment procedure, as well as aspects of the clinical dosimetry, at the Studsvik facility is discussed in this thesis. Novel methods for verification of the clinical dosimetry in BNCT, which are presented in this thesis, ensure therapeutic safety. The methods presented include verification of the clinical dosimetry both prior to and following therapy. The verification employed prior to therapy was shown to have an uncertainty of 6.0% (1 SD), while the in vivo dosimetry method utilized in a post-therapy analysis benefits from improvements, as the uncertainty of 11.2% (1 SD) was estimated. This thesis presents a comprehensive discourse on the mixed beam dosimetry of epithermal neutron beams designed for BNCT. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Kosunen, Antti, STUK, Helsinki, Finland
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
BNCT, dosimetry, radiotherapy, mixed beam, quality assurance, in vivo dosimetry, Monte Carlo, ionization chamber, foil activation, MCNP, beam quality correction factor, photon transmission., Nukleärmedicin, radiobiology, Nuclear medicine, radiobiologi, Radiofarmaceutisk teknik, Radiopharmaceutical technology
pages
129 pages
publisher
Per Munck af Rosenschöld, Dept. of Radiation Physics, Klinikg. 7, 22185 LUND, SWEDEN,
defense location
Oncology Dept., Lund University Hospital
defense date
2003-12-13 13:00:00
ISBN
91-974444-4-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Article: I. Giusti V, Munck af Rosenschöld PM, Sköld K, Montagnini B, Capala J.Monte Carlo model of the Studsvik BNCT clinical beam: description and validation.Med. Phys. 2003 (in print: December issue). Article: II. Munck af Rosenschöld PM, Giusti V, Ceberg CPA study of the photon contamination of an epithermal neutron beam.Med. Phys. (submitted 2003). Article: III. Munck af Rosenschöld PM, Ceberg CP, Giusti V, Andreo P.Photon quality correction factors for ionization chambers in an epithermal neutron beam.Phys. Med. Biol. 47, 2397-2409, 2002. Article: IV. Munck af Rosenschöld PM, Giusti V, Ceberg CP, Capala J, Sköld K, Persson BRR,Reference dosimetry at the boron neutron capture therapy facility in Studsvik.Med. Phys. 30(7), 1569-1579, 2003. Article: V. Capala J, H.-Stenstam B, Sköld K, Munck af Rosenschöld PM, Giusti V, Persson C, Wallin E, Brun A, Franzen L, Carlsson J, Salford LG, Ceberg C, Persson BRR, Pellettieri L, Henriksson R.Boron Neutron Capture Therapy for Glioblastoma Multiforme: Clinical Studies in Sweden.J. Neuro-Oncol. 62, 135-144, 2003. Article: VI. Munck af Rosenschöld PM, Capala J, Ceberg CP, Giusti V, Salford LG, Persson BRR,Quality assurance of patient dosimetry in boron neutron capture therapy.Acta Oncol. (submitted 2003).
id
64cb1982-c4dd-4e45-bee9-c9db2fee1307 (old id 466419)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:47:32
date last changed
2023-07-20 08:31:41
@phdthesis{64cb1982-c4dd-4e45-bee9-c9db2fee1307,
  abstract     = {{Accurate radiation dosimetry is of paramount importance in order to ensure safe delivery of radiotherapy, and for the possibility of meaningful evaluation of clinical trials, as the radiation absorbed dose is correlated to tissue response. The aim of the studies described in this thesis was to investigate and devise novel approaches to mixed beam dosimetry in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The computer model of the epithermal neutron beam at the Studsvik BNCT facility was described and experimentally verified. Good agreement was generally obtained in phantom (&lt;5%) for the photon and fast neutron absorbed dose, and thermal neutron fluence, which can be seen as verification of the computer model. However, the calculated in-air photon kerma (photon contamination) of the beam was about 39% lower than the measured value. The effective energy of this photon contamination was investigated using photon kerma transmission through bismuth. The calculated photon spectrum consisted mainly of 478 keV gamma-rays from boron neutron capture in the collimator, while the measurements indicated a higher effective energy; an actual photon spectrum comprising of 53% and 47% relative 478 keV and 2.22 MeV fluence free in air, respectively, reproduced the measured transmission within 3%.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The validated computer model of the mixed beam was subsequently used to calculate beam-dependent correction factors for the detectors used for dosimetry under reference conditions. Efforts were made to adhere to the (kQ) formalism and practice used in conventional radiotherapy, rather than that previously used in neutron radiotherapy. The calculations showed that commonly used ionization chambers could be employed in the epithermal neutron beam at Studsvik with kQ factors ranging between 1.02 and 1.10. The methodology employed ensured measurements with uncertainties of the thermal neutron fluence (1.4%, 1 SD), and the photon absorbed dose (2.5%, 1 SD) comparable to conventional radiotherapy standards. The measurement of the fast neutron absorbed dose, however, was associated with substantial uncertainties (24%, 1 SD).<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Clinical trials ensued, and the treatment procedure, as well as aspects of the clinical dosimetry, at the Studsvik facility is discussed in this thesis. Novel methods for verification of the clinical dosimetry in BNCT, which are presented in this thesis, ensure therapeutic safety. The methods presented include verification of the clinical dosimetry both prior to and following therapy. The verification employed prior to therapy was shown to have an uncertainty of 6.0% (1 SD), while the in vivo dosimetry method utilized in a post-therapy analysis benefits from improvements, as the uncertainty of 11.2% (1 SD) was estimated. This thesis presents a comprehensive discourse on the mixed beam dosimetry of epithermal neutron beams designed for BNCT.}},
  author       = {{Munck af Rosenschöld, Per}},
  isbn         = {{91-974444-4-8}},
  keywords     = {{BNCT; dosimetry; radiotherapy; mixed beam; quality assurance; in vivo dosimetry; Monte Carlo; ionization chamber; foil activation; MCNP; beam quality correction factor; photon transmission.; Nukleärmedicin; radiobiology; Nuclear medicine; radiobiologi; Radiofarmaceutisk teknik; Radiopharmaceutical technology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Per Munck af Rosenschöld, Dept. of Radiation Physics, Klinikg. 7, 22185 LUND, SWEDEN,}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Mixed Beam Dosimetry - From Reactor Core to BNCT Patient}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}