Objective.This work presents a method for enhanced detection, imaging, and measurement of the thermal neutron flux.Approach. Measurements were performed in a water tank, while the detector is positioned out-of-field of a 20 MeV ultra-high pulse dose rate electron beam. A semiconductor pixel detector Timepix3 with a silicon sensor partially covered by a6LiF neutron converter was used to measure the flux, spatial, and time characteristics of the neutron field. To provide absolute measurements of thermal neutron flux, the detection efficiency calibration of the detectors was performed in a reference thermal neutron field. Neutron signals are recognized and discriminated against other particles such as gamma rays and x-rays. This is achieved by the resolving power of the pixel detector using machine learning algorithms and high-resolution pattern recognition analysis of the high-energy tracks created by thermal neutron interactions in the converter.Main results. The resulting thermal neutrons equivalent dose was obtained using conversion factor (2.13(10) pSv·cm2) from thermal neutron fluence to thermal neutron equivalent dose obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. The calibrated detectors were used to characterize scattered radiation created by electron beams. The results at 12.0 cm depth in the beam axis inside of the water for a delivered dose per pulse of 1.85 Gy (pulse length of 2.4μs) at the reference depth, showed a contribution of flux of 4.07(8) × 103particles·cm-2·s-1and equivalent dose of 1.73(3) nSv per pulse, which is lower by ∼9 orders of magnitude than the delivered dose.Significance. The presented methodology for in-water measurements and identification of characteristic thermal neutrons tracks serves for the selective quantification of equivalent dose made by thermal neutrons in out-of-field particle therapy.

• Klíčová slova
• 6LiF converter, FLASH electron radiotherapy, Timepix3 pixel detector, equivalent dose, out-of-field dose from neutrons, particle type discrimination, thermal neutrons,
• MeSH
• algoritmy * MeSH
• elektrony * MeSH
• kalibrace MeSH
• neutrony MeSH
• záření gama MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

PURPOSE: Craniospinal irradiation (CSI) has greatly increased survival rates for patients with a diagnosis of medulloblastoma and other primitive neuroectodermal tumors. However, as it includes exposure of a large volume of healthy tissue to unwanted doses, there is a strong concern about the complications of the treatment, especially for the children. To estimate the risk of second cancers and other unwanted effects, out-of-field dose assessment is necessary. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare out-of-field doses in pediatric CSI treatment using conventional and advanced photon radiotherapy (RT) and advanced proton therapy. To our knowledge, it is the first such comparison based on in-phantom measurements. Additionally, for out-of-field doses during photon RT in this and other studies, comparisons were made using analytical modeling. METHODS: In order to describe the out-of-field doses absorbed in a pediatric patient during actual clinical treatment, an anthropomorphic phantom, which mimics the 10-year-old child, was used. Photon 3D-conformal RT (3D-CRT) and two advanced, highly conformal techniques: photon volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and active pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton RT were used for CSI treatment. Radiophotoluminescent and poly-allyl-diglycol-carbonate nuclear track detectors were used for photon and neutron dosimetry in the phantom, respectively. Out-of-field doses from neutrons were expressed in terms of dose equivalent. A two-Gaussian model was implemented for out-of-field doses during photon RT. RESULTS: The mean VMAT photon doses per target dose to all organs in this study were under 50% of the target dose (i.e., <500 mGy/Gy), while the mean 3D-CRT photon dose to oesophagus, gall bladder, and thyroid, exceeded that value. However, for 3D-CRT, better sparing was achieved for eyes and lungs. The mean PBS photon doses for all organs were up to three orders of magnitude lower compared to VMAT and 3D-CRT and exceeded 10 mGy/Gy only for the oesophagus, intestine, and lungs. The mean neutron dose equivalent during PBS for eight organs of interest (thyroid, breasts, lungs, liver, stomach, gall bladder, bladder, prostate) ranged from 1.2 mSv/Gy for bladder to 23.1 mSv/Gy for breasts. Comparison of out-of-field doses in this and other phantom studies found in the literature showed that a simple and fast two-Gaussian model for out-of-field doses as a function of distance from the field edge can be applied in a CSI using photon RT techniques. CONCLUSIONS: PBS is the most promising technique for out-of-field dose reduction in comparison to photon techniques. Among photon techniques, VMAT is a preferred choice for most of out-of-field organs and especially for the thyroid, while doses for eyes, breasts, and lungs are lower for 3D-CRT. For organs outside the field edge, a simple analytical model can be helpful for clinicians involved in treatment planning using photon RT but also for retrospective data analysis for cancer risk estimates and epidemiology in general.

• Klíčová slova
• 3D-CRT, VMAT, anthropomorphic phantom, craniospinal irradiation, out-of-field dose, scanning proton therapy,
• MeSH
• celková dávka radioterapie MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• konformní radioterapie * metody   MeSH
• kraniospinální iradiace * škodlivé účinky   metody   MeSH
• kritické orgány účinky záření   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádory mozečku * radioterapie   MeSH
• plánování radioterapie pomocí počítače metody   MeSH
• protony MeSH
• radioterapie s modulovanou intenzitou * škodlivé účinky   metody   MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protony MeSH

BACKGROUND: FLASH radiotherapy necessitates the development of advanced Quality Assurance methods and detectors for accurate monitoring of the radiation field. This study introduces enhanced time-resolution detection systems and methods used to measure the delivered number of pulses, investigate temporal structure of individual pulses and dose-per-pulse (DPP) based on secondary radiation particles produced in the experimental room. METHODS: A 20 MeV electron beam generated from a linear accelerator (LINAC) was delivered to a water phantom. Ultra-high dose-per-pulse electron beams were used with a dose-per-pulse ranging from ̴ 1 Gy to over 7 Gy. The pulse lengths ranged from 1.18 µs to 2.88 µs at a pulse rate frequency of 5 Hz. A semiconductor pixel detector Timepix3 was used to track single secondary particles. Measurements were performed in the air, while the detector was positioned out-of-field at a lateral distance of 200 cm parallel with the LINAC exit window. The dose deposited was measured along with the pulse length and the nanostructure of the pulse. RESULTS: The time of arrival (ToA) of single particles was measured with a resolution of 1.56 ns, while the deposited energy was measured with a resolution of several keV based on the Time over Threshold (ToT) value. The pulse count measured by the Timepix3 detector corresponded with the delivered values, which were measured using an in-flange integrating current transformer (ICT). A linear response (R2 = 0.999) was established between the delivered beam current and the measured dose at the detector position (orders of nGy). The difference between the average measured and delivered pulse length was ∼0.003(30) μs. CONCLUSION: This simple non-invasive method exhibits no limitations on the delivered DPP within the range used during this investigation.

• Klíčová slova
• FLASH electron, FLASH electron radiotherapy, Fast neutrons, Out-of-field dose, Particle flux, Single pulse, Time measurement, Timepix3 pixel detector,
• MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• částice - urychlovače * MeSH
• celková dávka radioterapie * MeSH
• fantomy radiodiagnostické MeSH
• radiometrie * přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• radioterapie přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Since 2010, EURADOS Working Group 9 (Radiation Dosimetry in Radiotherapy) has been involved in the investigation of secondary and scattered radiation doses in X-ray and proton therapy, especially in the case of pediatric patients. The main goal of this paper is to analyze and compare out-of-field neutron and non-neutron organ doses inside 5- and 10-year-old pediatric anthropomorphic phantoms for the treatment of a 5-cm-diameter brain tumor. Proton irradiations were carried out at the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice in IFJ PAN Krakow Poland using a pencil beam scanning technique (PBS) at a gantry with a dedicated scanning nozzle (IBA Proton Therapy System, Proteus 235). Thermoluminescent and radiophotoluminescent dosimeters were used for non-neutron dose measurements while secondary neutrons were measured with track-etched detectors. Out-of-field doses measured using intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) were compared with previous measurements performed within a WG9 for three different photon radiotherapy techniques: 1) intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), 2) three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D CDRT) performed on a Varian Clinac 2300 linear accelerator (LINAC) in the Centre of Oncology, Krakow, Poland, and 3) Gamma Knife surgery performed on the Leksell Gamma Knife (GK) at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Croatia. Phantoms and detectors used in experiments as well as the target location were the same for both photon and proton modalities. The total organ dose equivalent expressed as the sum of neutron and non-neutron components in IMPT was found to be significantly lower (two to three orders of magnitude) in comparison with the different photon radiotherapy techniques for the same delivered tumor dose. For IMPT, neutron doses are lower than non-neutron doses close to the target but become larger than non-neutron doses further away from the target. Results of WG9 studies have provided out-of-field dose levels required for an extensive set of radiotherapy techniques, including proton therapy, and involving a complete description of organ doses of pediatric patients. Such studies are needed for validating mathematical models and Monte Carlo simulation tools for out-of-field dosimetry which is essential for dedicated epidemiological studies which evaluate the risk of second cancers and other late effects for pediatric patients treated with radiotherapy.

• Klíčová slova
• RPL detectors, TL detectors, anthropomorphic phantoms, brain tumor irradiations, out-of-field doses, scanning proton therapy, track detectors,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

PURPOSE: To measure the environmental doses from stray neutrons in the vicinity of a solid slab phantom as a function of beam energy, field size and modulation width, using the proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) technique. METHOD: Measurements were carried out using two extended range WENDI-II rem-counters and three tissue equivalent proportional counters. Detectors were suitably placed at different distances around the RW3 slab phantom. Beam irradiation parameters were varied to cover the clinical ranges of proton beam energies (100-220MeV), field sizes ((2×2)-(20×20)cm2) and modulation widths (0-15cm). RESULTS: For pristine proton peak irradiations, large variations of neutron H∗(10)/D were observed with changes in beam energy and field size, while these were less dependent on modulation widths. H∗(10)/D for pristine proton pencil beams varied between 0.04μSvGy-1 at beam energy 100MeV and a (2×2)cm2 field at 2.25m distance and 90° angle with respect to the beam axis, and 72.3μSvGy-1 at beam energy 200MeV and a (20×20) cm2 field at 1m distance along the beam axis. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results will be useful in benchmarking Monte Carlo calculations of proton radiotherapy in PBS mode and in estimating the exposure to stray radiation of the patient. Such estimates may be facilitated by the obtained best-fitted simple analytical formulae relating the stray neutron doses at points of interest with beam irradiation parameters.

• Klíčová slova
• Out-of-field doses, Pencil beam scanning systems, Proton therapy, Secondary neutrons, Stray neutron doses, TEPC,
• MeSH
• celková dávka radioterapie MeSH
• dávka záření * MeSH
• fantomy radiodiagnostické MeSH
• metoda Monte Carlo MeSH
• neutrony terapeutické užití   MeSH
• protonová terapie * MeSH
• radiační rozptyl * MeSH
• radiometrie MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The lowest possible energy of proton scanning beam in cyclotron proton therapy facilities is typically between 60 and 100 MeV. Treatment of superficial lesions requires a pre-absorber to deliver doses to shallower volumes. In most of the cases a range shifter (RS) is used, but as an alternative solution, a patient-specific 3D printed proton beam compensator (BC) can be applied. A BC enables further reduction of the air gap and consequently reduction of beam scattering. Such pre-absorbers are additional sources of secondary radiation. The aim of this work was the comparison of RS and BC with respect to out-of-field doses for a simulated treatment of superficial paediatric brain tumours. EURADOS WG9 performed comparative measurements of scattered radiation in the Proteus C-235 IBA facility (Cyclotron Centre Bronowice at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, CCB IFJ PAN, Kraków, Poland) using two anthropomorphic phantoms-5 and 10 yr old-for a superficial target in the brain. Both active detectors located inside the therapy room, and passive detectors placed inside the phantoms were used. Measurements were supplemented by Monte Carlo simulation of the radiation transport. For the applied 3D printed pre-absorbers, out-of-field doses from both secondary photons and neutrons were lower than for RS. Measurements with active environmental dosimeters at five positions inside the therapy room indicated that the RS/BC ratio of the out-of-field dose was also higher than one, with a maximum of 1.7. Photon dose inside phantoms leads to higher out-of-field doses for RS than BC to almost all organs with the highest RS/BC ratio 12.5 and 13.2 for breasts for 5 and 10 yr old phantoms, respectively. For organs closest to the isocentre such as the thyroid, neutron doses were lower for BC than RS due to neutrons moderation in the target volume, but for more distant organs like bladder-conversely-lower doses for RS than BC were observed. The use of 3D printed BC as the pre-absorber placed in the near vicinity of patient in the treatment of superficial tumours does not result in the increase of secondary radiation compared to the treatment with RS, placed far from the patient.

• MeSH
• 3D tisk * MeSH
• celková dávka radioterapie MeSH
• dávka záření * MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• fantomy radiodiagnostické MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• metoda Monte Carlo MeSH
• nádory mozku radioterapie   MeSH
• neutrony MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• protonová terapie přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

PURPOSE: To characterize stray radiation around the target volume in scanning proton therapy and study the performance of active neutron monitors. METHODS: Working Group 9 of the European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS WG9-Radiation protection in medicine) carried out a large measurement campaign at the Trento Centro di Protonterapia (Trento, Italy) in order to determine the neutron spectra near the patient using two extended-range Bonner sphere spectrometry (BSS) systems. In addition, the work focused on acknowledging the performance of different commercial active dosimetry systems when measuring neutron ambient dose equivalents, H(∗)(10), at several positions inside (8 positions) and outside (3 positions) the treatment room. Detectors included three TEPCs--tissue equivalent proportional counters (Hawk type from Far West Technology, Inc.) and six rem-counters (WENDI-II, LB 6411, RadEye™ NL, a regular and an extended-range NM2B). Meanwhile, the photon component of stray radiation was deduced from the low-lineal energy transfer part of TEPC spectra or measured using a Thermo Scientific™ FH-40G survey meter. Experiments involved a water tank phantom (60 × 30 × 30 cm(3)) representing the patient that was uniformly irradiated using a 3 mm spot diameter proton pencil beam with 10 cm modulation width, 19.95 cm distal beam range, and 10 × 10 cm(2) field size. RESULTS: Neutron spectrometry around the target volume showed two main components at the thermal and fast energy ranges. The study also revealed the large dependence of the energy distribution of neutrons, and consequently of out-of-field doses, on the primary beam direction (directional emission of intranuclear cascade neutrons) and energy (spectral composition of secondary neutrons). In addition, neutron mapping within the facility was conducted and showed the highest H(∗)(10) value of ∼ 51 μSv Gy(-1); this was measured at 1.15 m along the beam axis. H(∗)(10) values significantly decreased with distance and angular position with respect to beam axis falling below 2 nSv Gy(-1) at the entrance of the maze, at the door outside the room and below detection limit in the gantry control room, and at an adjacent room (<0.1 nSv Gy(-1)). Finally, the agreement on H(∗)(10) values between all detectors showed a direct dependence on neutron spectra at the measurement position. While conventional rem-counters (LB 6411, RadEye™ NL, NM2-458) underestimated the H(∗)(10) by up to a factor of 4, Hawk TEPCs and the WENDI-II range-extended detector were found to have good performance (within 20%) even at the highest neutron fluence and energy range. Meanwhile, secondary photon dose equivalents were found to be up to five times lower than neutrons; remaining nonetheless of concern to the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Extended-range BSS, TEPCs, and the WENDI-II enable accurate measurements of stray neutrons while other rem-counters are not appropriate considering the high-energy range of neutrons involved in proton therapy.

• MeSH
• dávka záření MeSH
• fantomy radiodiagnostické MeSH
• fotony MeSH
• neutrony MeSH
• protonová terapie přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• protony MeSH
• radiometrie přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• spektrální analýza přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• voda MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Evropa MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protony MeSH
• voda MeSH

Three types of detectors were used onboard the MIR station during the 28th base expeditions to characterise the radiation field: a linear energy transfer (LET) spectrometer was used to establish the LET spectrum between 7 and 700 keV/micrometers corresponding mostly to secondary charged particles; a set of thermoluminescent detectors was used to characterise the low LET component of the onboard radiation field; and Si-diodes were installed to determine the contribution to the exposure due to fast neutrons. It was found out that the LET spectrum from secondary particles between 7 and 700 KeV/micrometers does not depend on the external radiator; the average quality factors for the region mentioned are about 6.0 with ICRP 26 quality factors and about 6.8 with ICRP 60 quality factors. Both differential and integral LET spectra are presented for some typical cases, not only for particle number but also for the dose characteristics like dose and dose equivalent. The spectra obtained also permitted us to calculate the total doses and dose equivalents due to secondary particles with the LET values between 7 and 700 keV/micrometers. It was found out that these quantities are higher for the case of detectors placed in the less shielded area, both for the LET spectrometer (high LET part) as well as for TLDs measuring the low LET component. Total dosimetric characteristics obtained as a sum of both components mentioned are a little lower than previously reported.

• MeSH
• dávka záření MeSH
• kosmická loď přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• kosmické záření * MeSH
• kosmický let přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• křemík MeSH
• lineární přenos energie * MeSH
• monitorování radiace přístrojové vybavení   metody   MeSH
• neutrony MeSH
• radiační ochrana MeSH
• sluneční aktivita MeSH
• spektrální analýza MeSH
• stav beztíže MeSH
• termoluminiscenční dozimetrie MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• křemík MeSH