Clinical use of carbon-loaded thermoluminescent dosimeters for skin dose determination

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(95)00274-4· OSTI ID:456776

Ostwald, P M; Kron, T; Hamilton, C S ^[1]

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1. Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Waratah (Australia); and others

Carbon-loaded thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) are designed for surface/skin dose measurements. Following 4 years in clinical use at the Mater Hospital, the accuracy and clinical usefulness of the carbon-loaded TLDs was assessed. Teflon-based carbon-loaded lithium fluoride (LiF) disks with a diameter of 13 mm were used in the present study. The TLDs were compared with ion chamber readings and TLD extrapolation to determine the effective depth of the TLD measurement. In vivo measurements were made on patients receiving open-field treatments to the chest, abdomen, and groin. Skin entry dose or entry and exit dose were assessed in comparison with doses estimated form phantom measurements. The effective depth of measurement in a 6 MV therapeutic x-ray beam was found to be about 0.10 mm using TLD extrapolation as a comparison. Entrance surface dose measurements made on a solid water phantom agreed well with ion chamber and TLD extrapolation measurements, and black TLDs have an accuracy of {plus_minus} 5% ({plus_minus}2 SD). The dose predicted from black TLD readings correlate with observed skin reactions as assessed with reflectance spectroscopy. In vivo dosimetry with carbon-loaded TLDs proved to be a useful tool in assessing the dose delivered to the basal cell layer in the skin of patients undergoing radiotherapy. 23 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 456776
• Journal Information: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics, Vol. 33, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: 1 Nov 1995
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS
ACCURACY
EVALUATION
PATIENTS
RADIOTHERAPY
SKIN
RADIATION DOSES
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION INJURIES
CARCINOGENESIS
X RADIATION
SKIN ABSORPTION
THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSIMETRY
CARBON
TEFLON
LITHIUM FLUORIDES
PHANTOMS