1. Total body irradiation with a reconditioned cobalt teletherapy unit
- Author
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Carolyn R. Freeman, Pierre Léger, Ervin B. Podgorsak, Joe Larkin, Renée-Xavière Larouche, Michael D.C. Evans, and Marina Olivares
- Subjects
inorganic chemicals ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Materials science ,Cobalt Radioisotopes ,Whole body irradiation ,Radiotherapy department ,Radioisotope Teletherapy ,chemistry.chemical_element ,cobalt teletherapy ,Equipment Reuse ,medicine ,Radiation Oncology Physics ,Medical physics ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Instrumentation ,Radiation ,Total body ,Equipment Design ,Total body irradiation ,Equipment Failure Analysis ,chemistry ,Cobalt therapy ,total body irradiation ,Cobalt ,Whole-Body Irradiation - Abstract
While the current trend in radiotherapy is to replace cobalt teletherapy units with more versatile and technologically advanced linear accelerators, there remain some useful applications for older cobalt units. The expansion of our radiotherapy department involved the decommissioning of an isocentric cobalt teletherapy unit and the replacement of a column‐mounted 4‐MV LINAC that has been used for total body irradiation (TBI). To continue offering TBI treatments, we converted the decommissioned cobalt unit into a dedicated fixed‐field total body irradiator and installed it in an existing medium‐energy LINAC bunker. This article describes the logistical and dosimetric aspects of bringing a reconditioned cobalt teletherapy unit into clinical service as a total body irradiator. PACS numbers: 87.53.Dq, 87.53.Mr
- Published
- 2006
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