The Gammamed Plus 192Ir high dose rate brachytherapy sources were calibrated using the therapy level ionization chambers (0.1 and 0.6 cc) and the well-type chamber. The aim of the present study was to assess the accuracy and suitability of use of the therapy level chambers for in-air calibration of brachytherapy sources in routine clinical practice. In a calibration procedure using therapy ion ...

PURPOSE To compare dosimetry for head and neck cancer patients, calculated with TG-43 formalism and a commercially available grid-based Boltzmann solver. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 3D-dosimetry of 49 consecutive brachytherapy head and neck cancer patients, computed by a grid-based Boltzmann solver that takes into account tissue inhomogeneities as well as TG-43 formalism. 3D-trea...

A recently introduced brachytherapy system for partial breast irradiation, MammoSite, consists of a balloon applicator filled with contrast solution and a catheter for insertion of an 192Ir high-dose-rate (HDR) source. In using this system, the treatment dose is typically prescribed to be delivered 1 cm from the balloon's surface. Most treatment-planning systems currently in use for brachythera...

Since the publication of AAPM Task Group 60 report in 1999, a considerable amount of dosimetry data for the three coronary brachytherapy systems in use in the United States has been reported. A subgroup, Task Group 149, of the AAPM working group on Special Brachytherapy Modalities (Bruce Thomadsen, Chair) was charged to develop recommendations for dose calculation formalisms and the related con...

A 72-year-old patient was referred to our department to carry out an 18F-Choline PET–CT due to biochemical PSA failure from prostate cancer. The patient’s prostate cancer history started 5 years ago when he was diagnosed of a Gleason 3 + 4 tumor and treated with external radiotherapy. Three years later he presented biochemical failure and prostate tumor recurrence. Transrectal biopsy confirmed ...

Monte Carlo simulations are widely used for calculation of the dosimetric parameters of brachytherapy sources. MCNP4C2, MCNP5, MCNPX, EGS4, EGSnrc, PTRAN, and GEANT4 are among the most commonly used codes in this field. Each of these codes utilizes a cross-sectional library for the purpose of simulating different elements and materials with complex chemical compositions. The accuracies of the f...

AIM The aim of this study is to quantify the influence of the photon energy spectrum of brachytherapy sources on task group No. 43 (TG-43) dosimetric parameters. BACKGROUND Different photon spectra are used for a specific radionuclide in Monte Carlo simulations of brachytherapy sources. MATERIALS AND METHODS MCNPX code was used to simulate 125I, 103Pd, 169Yb, and 192Ir brachytherapy sources...

This paper discusses 98 patients who had their cerebral lesions stereotactically biopsied. Modified Riechert-Mundinger instrumentation was employed. Of the 98 patients, eight received only biopsy and 90 were then interstitially radiated with iridium-192 (192Ir) custom stacked in afterloading catheters. The vast majority of brachytherapeutically treated lesions were anaplastic or malignant astro...