%0 Journal Article
%T A User-Friendly System for Mailed Dosimetric Audits of Ir-192 or Co-60 HDR Brachytherapy Sources
%A Oliver-Canamas, L.
%A Vijande, J.
%A Candela-Juan, C.
%A Gimeno-Olmos, J.
%A Pujades-Claumarchirant, M. C.
%A Rovira-Escutia, J. J.
%A Ballester, F.
%A Perez-Calatayud, J.
%J Cancers
%D 2023
%V 15
%N 9
%I Mdpi
%G English
%F Oliver-Canamas_etal2023
%O WOS:000987247100001
%O exported from refbase (https://references.ific.uv.es/refbase/show.php?record=5542), last updated on Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:38:56 +0000
%X Nowadays, the options available to perform external dosimetric audits of the high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment process are limited. In this work, we present a methodology that allows for performing dosimetric audits in this field. A phantom was designed and manufactured for this purpose. The criteria for its design, together with the in-house measurements for its characterization, are presented. The result is a user-friendly system that can be mailed to perform dosimetric audits in HDR brachytherapy on-site for systems using either Iridium-192 (Ir-192) or Cobalt-60 (Co-60) sources. Objectives: The main goal of this work is to design and characterize a user-friendly methodology to perform mailed dosimetric audits in high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for systems using either Iridium-192 (Ir-192) or Cobalt-60 (Co-60) sources. Methods: A solid phantom was designed and manufactured with four catheters and a central slot to place one dosimeter. Irradiations with an Elekta MicroSelectron V2 for Ir-192, and with a BEBIG Multisource for Co-60 were performed for its characterization. For the dose measurements, nanoDots, a type of optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs), were characterized. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations were performed to evaluate the scatter conditions of the irradiation set-up and to study differences in the photon spectra of different Ir-192 sources (Microselectron V2, Flexisource, BEBIG Ir2.A85-2 and Varisource VS2000) reaching the dosimeter in the irradiation set-up. Results: MC simulations indicate that the surface material on which the phantom is supported during the irradiations does not affect the absorbed dose in the nanoDot. Generally, differences below 5% were found in the photon spectra reaching the detector when comparing the Microselectron V2, the Flexisource and the BEBIG models. However, differences up to 20% are observed between the V2 and the Varisource VS2000 models. The calibration coefficients and the uncertainty in the dose measurement were evaluated. Conclusions: The system described here is able to perform dosimetric audits in HDR brachytherapy for systems using either Ir-192 or Co-60 sources. No significant differences are observed between the photon spectra reaching the detector for the MicroSelectron V2, the Flexisource and the BEBIG Ir-192 sources. For the Varisource VS2000, a higher uncertainty is considered in the dose measurement to allow for the nanoDot response.
%K high dose rate brachytherapy
%K dosimetric audit
%K error detection
%K phantom
%R 10.3390/cancers15092484
%U https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15092484
%P 2484 - 14pp