Evolution of clinical radiotherapy physics practice under COVID-19 constraints.

As the COVID-19 spread continues to challenge the societal and professional norms, radiotherapy around the globe is pushed into an unprecedented transformation. We will discuss how clinical physics has transformed to ascertain safety and quality standards across four facilities around the world through diversity of action, innovation, and scientific flexibility.

Monte Carlo study of the relationship between skin dose and optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter dose in Pd-103 permanent breast seed implant brachytherapy.

Purpose: To establish a method for estimating skin dose for patients with permanent breast seed implant based on in vivo optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) measurements.

Methods And Materials: Monte Carlo simulations were performed in a simple breast phantom using the EGSnrc user code egs_brachy. Realistic models of the IsoAid Advantage Pd-103 brachytherapy source and Landauer nanoDot OSLD were created to model in vivo skin dose measurements where an OSLD would be placed on the skin of a patient with permanent breast seed implant following implantation.

Investigation of EBT3 radiochromic film's response to humidity.

Purpose: The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of immersing EBT3 radiochromic film in water and to evaluate its contribution to the total uncertainty in dose determination.

Materials And Methods: We used 3 cm × 3 cm EBT3 radiochromic films irradiated in the range of 0-70 Gy to study the impact of water immersion on the change in net optical density. These films were placed in a water container for a period of 24 h.

Verification of Acuros XB dose algorithm using 3D printed low-density phantoms for clinical photon beams.

The transport-based dose calculation algorithm Acuros XB (AXB) has been shown to accurately account for heterogeneities primarily through comparisons with Monte Carlo simulations. This study aims to provide additional experimental verification of AXB for clinically relevant flattened and unflattened beam energies in low density phantoms of the same material. Polystyrene slabs were created using a bench-top 3D printer.

COMP report: CPQR technical quality control guidelines for radiation treatment centers.

The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP), in close partnership with the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) has developed a series of Technical Quality Control (TQC) guidelines for radiation treatment equipment. These guidelines outline the performance objectives that equipment should meet in order to ensure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. The TQC guidelines have been rigorously reviewed and field tested in a variety of Canadian radiation treatment facilities.