Out-of-field photon dose following removal of the flattening filter from a medical accelerator

The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of removing the flattening filter from a linear accelerator on the out-of-field photon dose. A Monte Carlo model was used to simulate 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams from a Varian 2100 accelerator with the flattening filter in place and with it removed. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics in medicine & biology 2010-04, Vol.55 (8), p.2155-2166
Main Authors: Kry, Stephen F, Vassiliev, Oleg N, Mohan, Radhe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benchmarking
Humans
Monte Carlo Method
Neutrons - therapeutic use
Photons - therapeutic use
Radiation Dosage
Radiotherapy - instrumentation
Radiotherapy - methods
Radiotherapy Dosage
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Summary:The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of removing the flattening filter from a linear accelerator on the out-of-field photon dose. A Monte Carlo model was used to simulate 6 MV and 18 MV photon beams from a Varian 2100 accelerator with the flattening filter in place and with it removed. The out-of-field photon doses and composition (head leakage, patient scatter and collimator scatter) were calculated from square open fields in a water tank as a function of distance from central axis, field size and depth. The out-of-field doses resulting from intensity-modulated radiation therapy to the prostate at 6 MV were also calculated, with and without the flattening filter, to sensitive organs in an anthropomorphic Rando phantom. Removal of the flattening filter reduced the out-of-field dose near the treatment field (
ISSN:0031-9155
1361-6560
DOI:10.1088/0031-9155/55/8/003