Simulation and experimental verification of ambient neutron doses in a pencil beam scanning proton therapy room as a function of treatment plan parameters.

Out-of-field patient doses in proton therapy are dominated by neutrons. Currently, they are not taken into account by treatment planning systems. There is an increasing need to include out-of-field doses in the dose calculation, especially when treating children, pregnant patients, and patients with implants.

EURADOS REM-COUNTER INTERCOMPARISON AT MAASTRO PROTON THERAPY CENTRE: COMPARISON WITH LITERATURE DATA.

The Maastro Proton Therapy Centre is the first European facility housing the Mevion S250i Hyperscan synchrocyclotron. The proximity of the accelerator to the patient, the presence of an active pencil beam delivery system downstream of a passive energy degrader and the pulsed structure of the beam make the Mevion stray neutron field unique amongst proton therapy facilities. This paper reviews the results of a rem-counter intercomparison experiment promoted by the European Radiation Dosimetry Group at Maastro and compares them with those at other proton therapy facilities.

Joint EURADOS WG9-WG11 rem-counter intercomparison in a Mevion S250i proton therapy facility with Hyperscan pulsed synchrocyclotron.

Objective Proton therapy is gaining popularity because of the improved dose delivery over conventional radiation therapy. The secondary dose to healthy tissues is dominated by secondary neutrons. Commercial rem-counters are valuable instruments for the on-line assessment of neutron ambient dose equivalent (H*(10)).

A comprehensive Monte Carlo study of out-of-field secondary neutron spectra in a scanned-beam proton therapy gantry room.

Purpose: To simulate secondary neutron radiation fields that had been measured at different relative positions during phantom irradiation inside a scanning proton therapy gantry treatment room. Further, to identify origin, energy distribution, and angular emission of the secondary neutrons as a function of proton beam energy.

Methods: The FLUKA Monte Carlo code was used to model the relevant parts of the treatment room in a scanned pencil beam proton therapy gantry including shielding walls, floor, major metallic gantry-components, patient table, and a homogeneous PMMA target.

Systematic out-of-field secondary neutron spectrometry and dosimetry in pencil beam scanning proton therapy.

Background And Purpose: Systematic investigation of the energy and angular dependence of secondary neutron fluence energy distributions and ambient dose equivalents values (H*(10)) inside a pencil beam scanning proton therapy treatment room using a gantry.

Materials And Methods: Neutron fluence energy distributions were measured with an extended-range Bonner sphere spectrometer featuring ³He proportional counters, at four positions at 0°, 45°, 90°, and 135° with respect to beam direction and at a distance of 2 m from the isocenter. The energy distribution of secondary neutrons was investigated for initial proton beam energies of 75 MeV, 140 MeV, and 200 MeV, respectively, using a 2D scanned irradiation field of 11 × 11 cm² delivered to a 30 × 30 × 30 cm³ PMMA phantom.

Significant impact on effective doses received during commercial flights calculated using the new ICRP radiation weighting factors.

This note discusses the significant impact on effective doses received during commercial flights calculated using the new International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) radiation weighting factors. It also provides an update on adult effective doses given in a previous article in Health Physics when the old ICRP radiation weighting factors were used.

Estimate of doses to the fetus during commercial flights.

This study assesses the radiation exposure from cosmic rays to fetuses of pregnant aircrew and air travelers. Combining the particle fluence spectra of various cosmic radiations at aircraft altitudes with the fetal fluence-to-dose conversion coefficients calculated for different cosmic ray radiations, the doses to the fetal body were estimated for three prenatal ages. From the five major particle types present during commercial flights, neutrons contribute about 54% of the total fetal dose, followed by protons 22%, photons 11%, electrons 7%, and muons 6%.