Pr, Br, Rad Pharm, TBI, TSET Flashcards
What’s the typical energy range of proton beams?
- 70-250 MeV
- Lower energies (60 MeV) exist for tx of ocular melanomas
What’s the formula for the range of protons in the tissue?
Range (cm) = 0.033E + 0.0005E2
When does the skin dose from a proton beam increase?
When you increase the SOBP
How do you create a SOBP?
Using a range modulator wheel, which has thicker and thinner parts and can change the range of the protons as they pass through the different parts.
What controls the range of the proton beam?
- Beam energy
- Can be controlled using a range shifter
What controls the modulation of a proton beam?
Range modulator wheel
What’s the fx of a compensator for proton beams?
- A compensator custom-made, beam-shaping device used to absorb some energy so that it stops just on the distal edges of the target or tumor
- It can also compensate for
– the presence of tissue inhomogeneities (bone, lung, etc)
– Irregularities of patient body contours/surface
What devices go into the beam path of a double scattered proton beam?
- First, second Scatterers: Widen the beam
- Shifter: Determines where the beam will stop
- Modulator: Creates the SOBP to cover the entire length of the tumor.
- Aperture: Shapes the lateral edges of the beam. Custom-made from thick brass.
- Compensator: Shapes the beam to conform to the distal edge of the tumor. Typically made from low Z materials (wax, plastic, etc) to reduce scatter.
Is there an advantage to using protons over photons considering lateral penumbra?
No, it is very similar to a photon beam (≥ 6 MV)
What’re some of the advantages and disadvantages of a PBS?
- Advantages
– Sharper penumbra
– Low neutron dose 2/2 fewer devices in the beam path - Disadvantages
– More susceptible to intrafraction patient motion
How are protons accelerated in the cyclotron?
- Magnetic field
- Charged particles move in a spiral, gaining energy w/ each revolution
– Continuously bent by the magnetic field
– As they gain energy, the radius of their revolutions increase - Gives a continuous supply of protons
How are protons accelerated in a synchrotron?
- Beam travels around in a circular path in a vacuum
- Bending magnets bend the beam
- Accelerating cavity accelerates the beam using RF electric fields (akin to a Linac)
- Once the beam reaches desired energy, it’s extracted from the synchrotron
- Outputs protons in bursts
How do the PTV margins differ for protons vs. photons?
- Proton PTV margins depend on the beam direction
– They are non-isotropic, unlike photon beams
What’s an advantage and a disadvantage of a carbon ion beam vs. a proton beam?
- Adv: Sharper penumbra
- Dis: ↑ dose past Bragg peak 2/2 nuclear spallation
What’re the features of a planar Quimby brachy system?
- Uniform source activity
- Non-uniform dose distribution
– Higher dose at the center
What’re the features of a planar Manchester (Patterson-Parker) brachy system?
- Uniform source spacing (1 cm)
- Non-uniform source activity
– Peripheral sources have higher activity - More uniform dose distribution 0.5 cm around sources (±10%) mainly 2/2 ↑ activity of the peripheral sources
What’s the formula for the range of protons in the tissue?
Range (cm) = 0.033E + 0.0005E2
What’s the typical energy range of proton beams?
70-250 MeV
What are the units of air kerma strength?
- 1 μGy × m2 / h
- Also represented as 1U
What are the dose rates for LDR, MDR, and HDR brachytherapy?
- LDR - 0.4 - 2 Gy/h
- MDR: 2-12 Gy/h
- HDR: >12 Gy/h
How’re unsealed sources given?
- Usually given systemically or injected