Impact of source-production revision on the dose-rate constant of {sup 131}Cs interstitial brachytherapy sources
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (United States)
Purpose: Since its introduction in 2004, the model CS-1 Rev.1 {sup 131}Cs source has been used in many radiation therapy clinics for prostate brachytherapy. In 2006, this source model underwent a Rev.2 production revision. The aim of this work was to investigate the dosimetric influences of the Rev.2 production revision using high-resolution photon spectrometry. Methods: Three CS-1 Rev.1 and three CS-1 Rev.2 {sup 131}Cs sources were used in this study. The relative photon energy spectrum emitted by each source in the transverse bisector of the source was measured using a high-resolution germanium detector designed for low-energy photon spectrometry. Based on the measured photon energy spectrum and the radioactivity distribution in the source, the dose-rate constant ({Lambda}) of each source was determined. The effects of the Rev.2 production revision were quantified by comparing the emitted photon energy spectra and the {Lambda} values determined for the sources manufactured before and after the production revision. Results: The relative photon energy spectrum originating from the principal emissions of {sup 131}Cs was found to be nearly identical before and after the Rev.2 revision. However, the portion of the spectrum originating from the production of fluorescent x rays in niobium, a trace element present in the source construction materials, was found to differ significantly between the Rev.1 and Rev.2 sources. The peak intensity of the Nb K{sub {alpha}} and Nb K{sub {beta}} fluorescent x rays from the Rev.2 source was approximately 35% of that from the Rev.1 source. Consequently, the nominal {Lambda} value of the Rev.2 source was found to be greater than that determined for the Rev.1 source by approximately 0.7%{+-}0.5%. Conclusions: A significant reduction (65%) in relative niobium fluorescent x-ray yield was observed in the Rev.2 {sup 131}Cs sources. The impact of this reduction on the dose-rate constant was found to be small, with a relative difference of less than 1%. This study demonstrates that photon spectrometry can be used as a sensitive and convenient tool for monitoring and for quantifying the dosimetric effects of brachytherapy source-production revisions. Because production revision can change both the geometry and the atomic composition of brachytherapy sources, its dosimetric impact should be carefully monitored and evaluated for each production revision.
- OSTI ID:
- 22096719
- Journal Information:
- Medical Physics, Vol. 37, Issue 7; Other Information: (c) 2010 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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