Rules of thumb Flashcards
Bremsstrahlung max and mean photon energy
max = designated energy, mean = 1/3 designated energy
PDD for 10x10 field @ 10 cm depth co-60 6MeV 10MeV 18MeV
co-60 = 55% 6MeV = 65% 10MeV = 75% 18MeV = 80%
TMR @ 10cm depth
6MeV
10MeV
18MeV
6MeV = 0.78 10MeV = 0.85 18MeV = 0.90
Approximate Attenuation rates
6MeV
10MeV
18MeV
6MeV = 3%/cm 10MeV = 2.5%/cm 18MeV = 2%/cm
Depth of Maximum dose (Dmax) for a 10x10 field size Co-60 6MeV 10MeV 18MeV
Co-60 = 0.5cm 6MeV = 1.5 cm 10MeV = 2.4 cm 18MeV = 3.3 cm
Surface Dose for photons Co-60 6MeV 10MeV 18MeV
Co-60 = 50% 6MeV = 25% 10MeV = 23% 18MeV = 20%
Neutron Contamination in an 18MeV beam
- 5% on the central axis
0. 15 outside of the bem
Neutron head leakage
6MeV
10MeV
18MeV
6MeV = none 10MeV = 0.01% 18MeV = 0.15%
Percentage depth dose dependencies
Field size - as field size increases, the %DD increases due to increased scatter
SSD - %DD increases with increasing SSD due to the inverse square law
Scattering at 1m from phantom
1/1000 of the primary beam
Lateral scatter energy
Maximum energy of about 0.511MeV
Backscatter energy
maximum energy of 0.255MeV
Photon Interaction proportionalities per unit mass
Photo Electric = Z^3/E^3
Compton scattering = Z/sqrt(E)
Pair Production = Z^2/log(E)
Conversion factor for Roentgens to cGY
in air = 0.876cGY/R
in tissue = 0.97 cGY/R
Conversion factor for Roentgens to cGY in tissue for I-125
0.886 cGY/R
SRS therapy
LINAC based is prescribed 70% isodose line
Gamma Knife is prescribed 50% isodse line
Scatter contributions outside the field
Physical wedges - scatter 2.5% the central axis dose
Dynamic wedges - scatter about 1% the central axis dose
** dynamic wedges reduce contralateral bereast dose over physical wedges
Outside of the beam there is a quantifiable amount of dose, extending perpendicular from the beam in the plane of Dmax
10cm away receives approximately 1% of the central axis dose at Dmax
30cm away receives approximately 0.2% of the central axis dose at Dmax
Tissue weighting factors for effective dose equivalent Gonads Red bone marrow Bladder Skin
Gonads = 0.2
Red bone marrow = 0.12
Bladder = 0.05
Skin = 0.01
Electron beams are nearly monoenergetic with average energy equal to that specified
– Electron Range
the 4, 3, 2, 2.33 rule
Depth max Dose R100 (cm) = E(MeV)/4
Therapeutic depth (80%) = R80(cm) = E(Mev)/3
Electron range in water Rp(cm) = E(MeV)/2
Depth of 50% isodose line R50(cm) = E(MeV)/2.33
Depth of Maximum dose (Dmax) for 10x10 field size of electrons 6E 9E 12E 20E
6E = 1.2 cm 9E = 1.9 cm 12E = 2.1 cm 20E = 2.1 cm
Electron Surface Dose (in %)
6E
12E
20E
6E = 80% 12E = 90% 20E = 95%
Electron X-ray contamination in %
6E
12E
20E
6E = 1% 12E = 2% 20E = 5%
Amount of lead shielding needed in mm to stop an electron beam
Eo(MeV)/2
Occupational limit
50 mSv/year (5mSv if pregnant)
Public limit in Sv
1mSv/year
The average worker in the USA receives X from occupational exposures
2 mSv/year
Neutrons need to be taken into account for energies above?
10MV
Energy of neutrons produced in photonuclear reactions
2MeV
Energy of neutrons at shielded door to the vault
100 keV
* most dangerous with radiation weighting factor = 20
Leakage limit
0.1% of the central axis value
Concrete TVLs for shielding 6 and 18 MV beams
6MeV = 37cm 18MeV = 45 cm
Amount of lead in mm to shield an electron beam (to less than 5%)
Rp/10 - in other words
E(MeV)/20
Approximate shielding materials and thickness X-ray CT PET Cs-137 HDR Co-60 LINAC/Cyberknife
X-ray - 1 mm lead CT - 2 mm lead PET - 1 cm lead Cs-137 - 3 cm lead HDR - 50 cm concrete Co-60 - 70 cm concrete LINAC/Cyberknife - 170cm concrete
Sources of radiation exposure for the average person
Radon - 1mSv/year Ingested isotopes - 0.4mSv/year Isotopes occurring naturally - 0.4 mSv/yr Cosmic rays - 0.4 mSv/yr Medical exposures - 2.0 mSv/yr
Lead and Iodine’s k-edge
Lead - 88 keV
Iodine - 33 keV
Increase in mortality risk due to acute radiation
8% per Sv
Increase in mortality risk due to chronic radiation exposure
4% per Sv
Radiation quality factors (from 10CFR20)
Photons = 1 Electrons = 1 Protons = 10 Neutrons = 5-20 (10 for unknown energy) Alpha = 20
Package receiving wipe test limits for 300cm^2 area
Alpha - 22 dpm/cm^2
Beta/gamma - 220 dpm/cm^2
ALARA levels
ALARA level 1 - 10% of the allowed limit per quarter
ALARA level 2 - 30% the allowed limit per quarter
Limit for removing sealed source from service due to leaking
185Bq
*sealed sources need to be checked every 6 months
Patient exposure release levels
I-125
Pd-103
I-131
I-125: <1mR/hr at 1 meter
Pd-103: <3mR/hr at 1 meter
I-131: <7mR/hr at 1 meter
Brachytherapy Medical Events
Wrong patient, side or nuclide
Total dose differs by 20%
Single fraction differs by 50%
Teletherapy Medical Events
Wrong patient or site
Total dose differs by 20% (for treatments> 3 fractions)
Total dose differs by 10% (for treatments<= 3 fractions)
LDR dose rate at prescription point
0.2 - 2Gy/hr
HDR dose rate at prescription point
> 12Gy/hr
Exposure time to achieve occupational limit while 1 meter away from HDR source
1 hour
Ir-192 HDR decayment rate
1% per day
Dose from Cs-137 LDR to Ir-192 HDR
D(Ir-192) = D(Cs-137)*0.65
* due to radiobiological effects related to the differing dose rates
Spine chords division
7 - cervical
12 - thoracic
5 - lumbar
5 - sacral
Spinal cord ends
L1/L2 and terminates in cauda equina
Sample CT numbers - relative to water Air Lung Soft tissue Fat Water CSF Blood and Muscle Spongy Bone Cortical Bone
Air: -1000 Lung: -700 Soft tissue: -300 to -100 Fat: -80 Water: 0 CSF: 15 Blood and Muscle: 40 Spongy Bone: 400 and up Cortical Bone: up to 3000
Ultrasound - velocities of sounds in different media
Air: 330 m/s
Water: 1497 m/s
Bone: 3500 m/s
Soft Tissue: 1540 m/s
Typical dose associated with CT
50-75 mGy
TG-21 to TG-51 output level
1% higher
MLC leakage
Intraleaf - 2%
Interleaf - 3%
End leakage - 15%
Pacemaker tolerance
2 Gy
Approximate Z of materials
Air - 7.6
Tissue - 7.4
Bone - 14.0
Prostheses - 20-25
density of various materials Air Lung Bone Concrete Steel Lead Tungsten
Air - 0.0012 g/cm3 Lung - 0.33 g/cm3 Bone - 1.8 g/cm3 Concrete - 2.35 g/cm3 (can vary significantly with composition) Steel - 7.85 g/cm3 Lead - 11.34 g/cm3 Tungsten = 19.25 g/cm3
Predominance and occurrence energies
Photoelectric
Compton
Pair Production
Predominance - Occurrence P.E: 10-30 Kev - 10-70Kev Compton 30Kev - 25Mev - Occurs everywhere P.P. >25 Mev - >10Mev