Pakjira Saruang. Determination of the surface dose correction factors for various detectors in proton scanning therapy. Master's Degree(Medical Physics). Chulalongkorn University. Office of Academic Resources. : Chulalongkorn University, 2569.
Determination of the surface dose correction factors for various detectors in proton scanning therapy
Abstract:
Proton therapy delivers tumors doses precisely but concerns about skin toxicity due to energy dispersion beyond the Bragg peak remain. Accurate surface dose measurement is crucial for calculating the radiation dose patients receive. Studying factors that improve measurement accuracy is essential, as current methods are challenging and often inaccurate. This research aims to determine the surface dose correction factors (Scf) for various detectors in spot scanning beam proton therapy and study the effect of surface dose according to various clinical factors. The PTW Advanced Markus, PTW Roos chamber and IBA FC65-G Farmer chamber were utilized to measure the surface dose in a water phantom with doses normalized to those at a 3 cm depth. Experimental surface doses were compared to reference results from FLUKA Monte Carlo simulations, with dose normalization performed at 0.07 mm relative to the dose at 3 cm under the same conditions, to determine the Scf of the detectors. Additionally, surface dose measurements and evaluations were conducted in Eclipse. The study also examined the impact of various factors on surface dose, including energy variations (100, 150, and 200 MeV), air gap distances (5, 15, and at the snout position (42.1 cm)), and range shifter (RS) thicknesses (2, 3, and 5 cm). The results indicated that the Scf from the Advanced Markus, Roos, and FC65-G detector were 0.9839, 0.9362, and 0.9701, respectively. The correction factor was obtained from the average value of proton energy for all three energy levels, which differ by no more than 1%. As for the correlation with clinical variables, an increase in the air gap distance resulted in a decrease in surface dose. Introducing the range shifter (RS) amplified the surface dose compared to its absence, particularly evident with reduced air gap distances and increased RS thickness. In conclusion, correction factors with recommended values of each detector enhance the accuracy for the surface dose measurement in proton pencil beam scanning. Furthermore, the introduction of a range shifter exhibited discernible alterations in surface dose, showing variability contingent upon air gap distances. Specifically, the dose increased by an average of 6% at distances less than 5 cm.