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Dose evaluation for out-of-field organs during radiotherapy has gained interest in recent years. A team led by University of Tsukuba is currently implementing a project for advancing boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), along with a radiation treatment planning system (RTPS). In this study, the authors used the RTPS (the ‘Tsukuba-Plan’) to evaluate the dose to out-of-field organs during BNCT. Computed tomography images of a whole-body phantom were imported into the RTPS, and a voxel model was constructed for the Monte Carlo calculations, which used the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport Code System. The results indicate that the thoracoabdominal organ dose during BNCT for a brain tumour and maxillary sinus tumour was 50–360 and 120–1160 mGy-Eq, respectively. These calculations required ∼29.6 h of computational time. This system can evaluate the outof- field organ dose for BNCT irradiation during treatment planning with patient-specific irradiation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Radiation-induced rib fracture has been reported as a late complication after external radiotherapy to the chest. The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics and risk factors of rib fracture after hypofractionated proton beam therapy (PBT). Material and methods. The retrospective study comprised 67 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated using PBT of 66 Cobalt-Gray-equivalents [Gy (RBE)] in 10 fractions. We analyzed the patients' characteristics and determined dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for the irradiated ribs, and then estimated relationships between risk of fracture and several dose-volume parameters. An irradiated rib was defined to be any rib included in the area irradiated by PBT as determined by treatment-planning computed tomography. Results. Among the 67 patients, a total of 310 ribs were identified as irradiated ribs. Twenty-seven (8.7%) of the irradiated ribs developed fractures in 11 patients (16.4%). No significant relationships were seen between incidence of fracture and characteristics of patients, including sex, age, tumor size, tumor site, and follow-up period (p ≥ 0.05). The results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis using DVH parameters demonstrated that the largest area under the curve (AUC) was observed for the volume of rib receiving a biologically effective dose of more than 60 Gy3 (RBE) (V60) [The equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2); 36 Gy3] and the AUCs of V30 to V120 (EQD2; 18-72 Gy3) and Dmax to D10cm3 were similar to that of V60. No significant relationships were seen for DVH parameters and intervals from PBT to incidence of fracture. Conclusion. DVH parameters are useful in predicting late adverse events of rib irradiation. This study identified that V60 was a most statistically significant parameter, and V30 to V120 and Dmax to D10cm3 were also significant and clinically useful for estimating the risk of rib fracture after hypofractionated PBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: At present, the clinical trials of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) are being performed at research reactor facilities. However, an accelerator based BNCT has a merit that it can be built in a hospital. So, we just launched a development project for the BNCT based on an accelerator in order to establish and to spread the BNCT as an effective therapy in the near future. In the project, a compact proton linac installed in a hospital will be applied as a neutron source, and energy of the proton beam is planned to be less than about 10 MeV to reduce the radioactivity. The BNCT requires epithermal neutron beam with an intensity of around 1x109 (n/cm2/sec) to deliver the therapeutic dose to a deeper region in a body and to complete the irradiation within an hour. From this condition, the current of the proton beam required is estimated to be a few mA on average. Enormous heat deposition in the target is a big issue. We are aiming at total optimization of the accelerator based BNCT from the linac to the irradiation position. Here, the outline of the project is introduced and the moderator design is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The radioactivation of linear accelerator components for radiation therapy is interest for radiation protection in general, and particularly, when decommissioning these structures. The energy spectra of gamma rays emitted from the heads of two accelerator models, EXL-15SP and Clinac iX, after 10-MeV X-ray irradiation, were measured using a high-purity germanium semiconductor survey meter. After spectrum analyses, activities of 24Na, 28Al, 54Mn, 56Mn, 57Ni, 58Co, 60Co, 64Cu, 65Zn, 122Sb, 124Sb, 181W, 187W, 196Au, and 198Au were detected. One centimetre deep dose-equivalent rate of the heads of the linear accelerator was measured using the survey meter. The dose rate decreased to ∼10 % of its initial rate after 1 week. Long-term activations were few, the radioactivity level was low, and a cooling time of several days was effective for reducing dose rate to an acceptable level for decommissioning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In current radiotherapy, neutrons are produced in a photonuclear reaction when incident photon energy is higher than the threshold. In the present study, a method of discriminating the neutron component was investigated using an imaging plate (IP) in the neutron–gamma-ray mixed field. Two types of IP were used: a conventional IP for beta- and gamma rays, and an IP doped with Gd for detecting neutrons. IPs were irradiated in the mixed field, and the photo-stimulated luminescence (PSL) intensity of the thermal neutron component was discriminated using an expression proposed herein. The PSL intensity of the thermal neutron component was proportional to thermal neutron fluence. When additional irradiation of photons was added to constant neutron irradiation, the PSL intensity of the thermal neutron component was not affected. The uncertainty of PSL intensities was approximately 11.4 %. This method provides a simple and effective means of discriminating the neutron component in a mixed field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To clarify the properties of clinical high-energy protons by comparing with clinical high-energy X-rays. Materials and methods: Human tumor cell lines, ONS76 and MOLT4, were irradiated with 200 MeV protons or 10 MV X-rays. In situ DNA double-strand breaks (DDSB) induction was evaluated by immunocytochemical staining of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX). Apoptosis was measured by flow-cytometry after staining with Annexin V. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) was obtained by clonogenic survival assay. Results: DDSB induction was significantly higher for protons than X-rays with average ratios of 1.28 (ONS76) and 1.59 (MOLT4) at 30 min after irradiation. However the differences became insignificant at 6 h. Also, apoptosis induction in MOLT4 cells was significantly higher for protons than X-rays with an average ratio of 2.13 at 12 h. However, the difference became insignificant at 20 h. RBE values of protons to X-rays at 10% survival were 1.06 ± 0.04 and 1.02 ± 0.15 for ONS76 and MOLT4, respectively. Conclusions: Cell inactivation may differ according to different timings and/or endpoints. Proton beams demonstrated higher cell inactivation than X-rays in the early phases. These data may facilitate the understanding of the biological properties of clinical proton beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ absorbed doses in computed tomography (CT) scans can be measured with anatomical phantoms but not inside the human body. In this study, a straightforward method was investigated to estimate organ doses in clinical CT using the radiation treatment planning system (RTPS) and compared them with experimental results of photoluminescence dosemeters (PLD). In a heterogeneous phantom, the average difference between PLD and RTPS values were −5.0 % for the body and 7.1 % for the lung. Using CT data, organ doses in 30 clinical cases were then calculated. There was a significant inverse correlation between the calculated values of organ doses and body mass index (BMI, correlation coefficients (r)=−0.69 (whole body), −0.80 (right lung), −0.81 (left lung), −0.76 (spinal cord), −0.74 (vertebra bone), −0.74 (heart), and −0.79 (oesophagus), all p < 0.01). An RTPS can be a simple and useful tool for estimating equivalent doses inside the human body, during whole-body CT scans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: To investigate technical feasibilities of noncoplanar proton-beam therapy (PBT) on dose reduction to critical organs.Material and Methods: The degree of mechanical precision, rotational limitations of the gantry and the treatment couch were evaluated, and dose-volume histograms were compared for noncoplanar and coplanar PBT. Following these studies, three patients with tumors proximal to the optic nerve underwent noncoplanar PBT.Results: Noncoplanar PBT offered advantage in dose reduction to the optic nerve when compared to coplanar therapy. This advantage was more significant if the tumor reduced in size during treatment. None experienced radiation injury to the optic nerve during a short follow-up time of 7-12 months.Conclusion: Noncoplanar PBT appears to reduce doses to organs at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the organ doses were measured using a human- body phantom simulating a medical staff member, and we considered an effective method for decreasing exposure to staff in positron emission tomography examinations. A fluorescence glass dosimeter was arranged for measurements in various organs. Regarding exposure, the average ratio of the dose at 100 cm from the source to the dose at 30 cm was 0.35. The ratio of the dose at 100 cm with a 3 cm lead shield to the dose at 100 cm with no shielding device was 0.01. To reduce the radiation exposure effectively, medical staff members should inform the patient of the details of the examination in advance, reduce the contact time with the patient during the examination, and maximize their distance from the patient when contact is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the nuclear medicine staff wore one finger dosimeter placed at the base of the index finger of the working hand. When a physician injected radioisotope drugs, the finger dose was 22.4 µSv, that for radiological technologists handling 99mTc was 29.6 µSv/day (consultation period 20 days), that for a physician injecting 18F-FDG-PET drugs was 51.3 µSv (right finger 53.9 µSv, left finger 47.2 µSv), that for pharmacists’ assay of FDG was 31.5 µSv, and that for radiological technologists positioning patients was 1.9 µSv. The largest value (94.1 µSv) was observed in physicians in the case of aspiration of a delivered drug. The finger dosimeter provides an effective solution for radiation protection procedures and follow-up. All the above staff members are on rotation and do not constantly handle radioactivity throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A medical compact cyclotron produces about 1015 neutrons per day along with 100 GBq of 18F. Therefore, it is important to establish radiation safety guidelines on residual radioactivity for routine operation, maintenance work, and decommissioning. Thus, we developed a simple method for measuring the thermal neutrons in a cyclotron room. In order to verify the feasibility of our proposed method, we measured the thermal neutron distribution around a cyclotron by using the activation of 23Na in salt. We installed 78 salt dosimeters in the cyclotron room with a 50 cm mesh. The photopeak of 24Na was measured, and the neutron flux distribution was estimated. Monitoring the neutron flux distribution in a cyclotron room appears to be useful for not only obtaining an accurate estimate of the distribution of induced radioactivity, but also optimizing the shield design for radiation safety in preparation for the decommissioning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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