Comparison of radiation shielding requirements for HDR brachytherapy using {sup 169}Yb and {sup 192}Ir sources
- Nuclear and Particle Physics Section, Physics Department, University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Ilisia, 157 71, Athens (Greece)
{sup 169}Yb has received a renewed focus lately as an alternative to {sup 192}Ir sources for high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Following the results of a recent work by our group which proved {sup 169}Yb to be a good candidate for HDR prostate brachytherapy, this work seeks to quantify the radiation shielding requirements for {sup 169}Yb HDR brachytherapy applications in comparison to the corresponding requirements for the current {sup 192}Ir HDR brachytherapy standard. Monte Carlo simulation (MC) is used to obtain {sup 169}Yb and {sup 192}Ir broad beam transmission data through lead and concrete. Results are fitted to an analytical equation which can be used to readily calculate the barrier thickness required to achieve a given dose rate reduction. Shielding requirements for a HDR brachytherapy treatment room facility are presented as a function of distance, occupancy, dose limit, and facility workload, using analytical calculations for both {sup 169}Yb and {sup 192}Ir HDR sources. The barrier thickness required for {sup 169}Yb is lower than that for {sup 192}Ir by a factor of 4-5 for lead and 1.5-2 for concrete. Regarding {sup 169}Yb HDR brachytherapy applications, the lead shielding requirements do not exceed 15 mm, even in highly conservative case scenarios. This allows for the construction of a lead door in most cases, thus avoiding the construction of a space consuming, specially designed maze. The effects of source structure, attenuation by the patient, and scatter conditions within an actual treatment room on the above-noted findings are also discussed using corresponding MC simulation results.
- OSTI ID:
- 20853230
- Journal Information:
- Medical Physics, Vol. 33, Issue 7; Other Information: DOI: 10.1118/1.2208940; (c) 2006 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-2405
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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