Minimum phantom size for megavoltage photon beam reference dosimetry.

BACKGROUND: Water phantoms are required to perform reference dosimetry and beam quality measurements but there are no published studies about the size requirements for such phantoms. PURPOSE: To investigate, using Monte Carlo techniques, the size requirements for water phantoms used in reference dosimetry and/or to measure the beam quality specifiers % d d ( 10 ) x $\%dd(10)_{\sf x}$ and T P R 10 20 $TPR^{20}_{10}$ . METHODS: The EGSnrc application DOSXYZnrc is used to calculate D ( 10 ) $D(10)$ , the dose per incident fluence at 10 cm depth in a water phantom irradiated by incident 10 × 10 cm 2 $10\,\times \,10 \, {\rm {cm}}^{2}$   beams of 60 Co $^{60}{\rm {Co}}$   or 6 MV photons. The water phantom dimensions are varied from 30 × 30 × 40 cm 3 $30 \,\times \, 30 \,\times \, 40 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ to 15 × 15 × 22 cm 3 $15 \,\times \, 15 \,\times \, 22 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ and occasionally smaller. The % d d ( 10 ) x $\%dd(10)_{\sf x}$ and T P R 10 20 $TPR^{20}_{10}$ values are also calculated with care being taken to distinguish T P R 10 20 $TPR^{20}_{10}$ results when using Method A (changing depth of water in phantom) and Method B (moving entire phantom). Typical statistical uncertainties are 0.03%. RESULTS: Phantom dimensions have only minor effects for phantoms larger than 20 × 20 × 25 cm 3 $20 \,\times \, 20 \,\times \, 25 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ . A table of corrections to the dose at 10 cm depth in 10 × 10 cm 2 $10 \,\times \, 10 \, {\rm {cm}}^{2}$   beams of 60 Co $^{60}{\rm {Co}}$   or 6 MV photons are provided and range from no correction to 0.75% for a 60 Co $^{60}{\rm {Co}}$  beam incident on a 20 × 20 × 15 cm 3 $20 \,\times \, 20 \,\times \, 15 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ phantom. There can be distinct differences in the T P R 10 20 $TPR^{20}_{10}$ values measured using Method A or Method B, especially for smaller phantoms. It is explicitly demonstrated that, within ± $\pm$ 0.15%, T P R 10 20 $TPR^{20}_{10}$ values for a 30 × 30 × 30 cm 3 $30 \,\times \, 30 \,\times \, 30 \, {\rm {cm}}^3$ phantom measured using Method A or B are independent of source detector distance between 40 and 200 cm. CONCLUSIONS: The phantom sizes recommended in the TG-51 and IAEA TRS-398 reference dosimetry protocols are adequate for accurate reference dosimetry and in some cases are even conservative. Correction factors are necessary for accurate measurement of the dose at 10 cm depth in smaller phantoms and these factors are provided. Very accurate beam quality specifiers are not required for reference dosimetry itself, but for specifying beam stability and characteristics it is important to specify phantom sizes and also the method used for T P R 10 20 $TPR^{20}_{10}$  measurements.

Update of the CLRP Monte Carlo TG-43 parameter database for high-energy brachytherapy sources.

PURPOSE: To update and extend version 2 of the Carleton Laboratory for Radiotherapy Physics (CLRP) TG-43 dosimetry database (CLRP_TG43v2) for high-energy (HE, ≥50 keV) brachytherapy sources (1 169 Yb, 23 192 Ir, 5 137 Cs, and 4 60 Co) using egs_brachy, an open-source EGSnrc application. A comprehensive dataset of TG-43 parameters is compiled, including detailed source descriptions, dose-rate constants, radial dose functions, 1D and 2D anisotropy functions, along-away dose-rate tables, Primary and Scatter Separated (PSS) dose tables, and mean photon energies escaping each source. The database also documents the source models which are freely distributed with egs_brachy. ACQUISITION AND VALIDATION METHODS: Datasets are calculated after a recoding of the source geometries using the egs++ geometry package and its egs_brachy extensions. Air kerma per history is calculated in a 10 × 10 × $\,{\times}\, 10\,{\times}\,$ 0.05 cm3 voxel located 100 cm from the source along the transverse axis and then corrected for the lateral and thickness dimensions of the scoring voxel to give the air kerma on the central axis at a point 100 cm from the source's mid-point. Full-scatter water phantoms with varying voxel resolutions in cylindrical coordinates are used for dose calculations. Most data (except for 60 Co) are based on the assumption of charged particle equilibrium and ignore the potentially large effects of electron transport very close to the source and dose from initial beta particles. These effects are evaluated for four representative sources. For validation, data are compared to those from CLRP_TG43v1 and published data. DATA FORMAT AND ACCESS: Data are available at https://physics.carleton.ca/clrp/egs_brachy/seed_database_v2 or http://doi.org/10.22215/clrp/tg43v2 including in Excel (.xlsx) spreadsheets, and are presented graphically in comparisons to previously published data for each source. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS: The CLRP_TG43v2 database has applications in research, dosimetry, and brachytherapy planning. This comprehensive update provides the medical physics community with more precise and in some cases more accurate Monte Carlo (MC) TG-43 dose calculation parameters, as well as fully benchmarked and described source models which are distributed with egs_brachy.

On pathlength and energy straggling of megavoltage electrons slowing down.

PURPOSE: to elucidate the effects of multiple scattering and energy-loss straggling on electron beams slowing down in materials. METHODS: EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulations are done using a purpose-written user-code. RESULTS: Plots are presented of the primary electron's energy as a function of pathlength for 20 MeV electrons incident on water and tantalum as are plots of the overall distribution of pathlengths as the 20 MeV electrons slow down under various Monte Carlo scenarios in water and tantalum. The distributions range from 1 % to 135 % of the CSDA range in water and from 1 % to 186 % in tantalum. The effects of energy-loss straggling on energy spectra at depth and electron fluence at depth are also presented. CONCLUSIONS: The role of energy-loss straggling and multiple scattering are shown to play a significant role in the range straggling which determines the dose fall-off region in electron beam dose vs depth curves and a significant role in the energy distributions as a function of depth.

Update of the CLRP TG-43 parameter database for low-energy brachytherapy sources.

PURPOSE: To update the Carleton Laboratory for Radiotherapy Physics (CLRP) TG-43 dosimetry database for low-energy (≤50 keV) photon-emitting low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy sources utilizing the open-source EGSnrc application egs_brachy rather than the BrachyDose application used previously for 27 LDR sources in the 2008 CLRP version (CLRPv1). CLRPv2 covers 40 sources ( 103 Pd, 125 I, and 131 Cs). A comprehensive set of TG-43 parameters is calculated, including dose-rate constants, radial dose functions with functional fitting parameters, 1D and 2D anisotropy functions, along-away dose-rate tables, Primary-Scatter separation dose tables (for some sources), and mean photon energies at the surface of the sources. The database also documents the source models which will become part of the egs_brachy distribution. ACQUISITION AND VALIDATION METHODS: Datasets are calculated after a systematic recoding of the source geometries using the egs++ geometry package and its egs_brachy extensions. Air-kerma strength per history is calculated for models of NIST's Wide-Angle Free-Air chamber (WAFAC) and for a point detector located at 10 cm on the source's transverse axis. Full scatter water phantoms with varying voxel resolutions in cylindrical coordinates are used for dose calculations. New statistical uncertainties of source volume corrections for phantom voxels which overlap with brachytherapy sources are implemented in egs_brachy, and all CLRPv2 data include these uncertainties. For validation, data are compared to CLRPv1 and other data in the literature. DATA FORMAT AND ACCESS: Data are available at https://physics.carleton.ca/clrp/egs_brachy/seed_database_v2, http://doi.org/10.22215/clrp/tg43v2. As well as being presented graphically in comparisons to previous calculations, data are available in Excel (.xlsx) spreadsheets for each source. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS: The database has applications in research, dosimetry, and brachytherapy treatment planning. This comprehensive update provides the medical physics community with more accurate TG-43 dose evaluation parameters, as well as fully benchmarked and described source models which are distributed with egs_brachy.

On calculating kerma, collision kerma and radiative yields.

PURPOSE: To study the relationships between dose (D), kerma (K), and collision kerma ( K col ) in photon beams and to investigate total radiative yields for electrons and positrons as a function of energy. To do this accurately required calculating collision kerma directly as a function of position in a phantom and making changes to the EGSnrc package (including DOSRZnrc and g applications). METHODS: Changes were made to the EGSnrc system to allow the user to distinguish events according to their initiating process, most importantly relaxation particles initiated by electron impact ionization as opposed to initiated by photons, especially those events depositing energy below energy cutoffs after relaxation events. Appropriate changes were made to the applications DOSRZnrc and g and a new application, DOSRZnrcKcol, was written. RESULTS: The modified codes are much more robust against changes in simulation parameters such as ECUT and AE and whether or not electron impact ionization is included in the simulation. The radiative yields for electrons generally differ from values in ICRU Report 371 (1984) which only account for radiative losses due to bremsstrahlung. The Monte Carlo calculated g(brems) values are generally greater than the ICRU 37 values due to energy-loss straggling. Plots of D, K and K col vs depth in megavoltage photon beams show that some "conventional wisdom" does not hold in general (e.g., D is not always greater than K past D max ) and in general at 10 cm depth it is found that D≈K and D > K col . The beam radius at which D / K col reaches its saturation value depends strongly on the threshold used to define reaching saturation and is generally greater than the radius for lateral charged particle equilibrium used in the TRS-483 Code of Practice for small beam dosimetry2 (Palmans et al, Med Phys. 2018;45:e1123-e1145). CONCLUSIONS: The changes to EGSnrc make kerma calculations more accurate but previous calculations with electron impact ionization turned off gave close to correct results. The application DOSRZnrcKcol makes calculating collision kerma more efficient and avoids various approximations used in the past although those approximations are shown to be justified. Including energy-loss straggling when calculating bremsstrahlung radiation yield increases the value. Fluorescence losses and annihilation in flight further increase the radiation yield of electrons and positrons. Results demonstrate the effects of EGSnrc using electron bremsstrahlung production cross sections for positrons and failing to model positron impact ionization.

Inverse square corrections for FACs and WAFACs.

Inverse square correction factors for wide-angle free-air chambers (WAFACs) and free-air chambers (FACs) for cylindrical, conical and square-prism detectors are required for determining the on-axis air kerma from measurements or Monte Carlo calculations made with these different shaped detectors. Values of air kerma measured with these detectors use an effective volume technique related to the inverse square correction factors. This paper presents these factors in a consistent framework and the relationships between them are made clear. Using Monte Carlo simulations, the various corrections and techniques are shown to be accurate within a statistical precision of about 0.04% or better with the exception of the published correction for square prism detectors which is shown to hold only for thin detectors which have an opening angle corresponding to the NIST and NRCC WAFAC primary standards. A more accurate correction for square prism detectors is presented which properly averages 1/d2 rather than d2 where d is the distance away from the source.

RECORDS: improved Reporting of montE CarlO RaDiation transport Studies: Report of the AAPM Research Committee Task Group 268.

Studies involving Monte Carlo simulations are common in both diagnostic and therapy medical physics research, as well as other fields of basic and applied science. As with all experimental studies, the conditions and parameters used for Monte Carlo simulations impact their scope, validity, limitations, and generalizability. Unfortunately, many published peer-reviewed articles involving Monte Carlo simulations do not provide the level of detail needed for the reader to be able to properly assess the quality of the simulations. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group #268 developed guidelines to improve reporting of Monte Carlo studies in medical physics research. By following these guidelines, manuscripts submitted for peer-review will include a level of relevant detail that will increase the transparency, the ability to reproduce results, and the overall scientific value of these studies. The guidelines include a checklist of the items that should be included in the Methods, Results, and Discussion sections of manuscripts submitted for peer-review. These guidelines do not attempt to replace the journal reviewer, but rather to be a tool during the writing and review process. Given the varied nature of Monte Carlo studies, it is up to the authors and the reviewers to use this checklist appropriately, being conscious of how the different items apply to each particular scenario. It is envisioned that this list will be useful both for authors and for reviewers, to help ensure the adequate description of Monte Carlo studies in the medical physics literature.

Monte Carlo study of ionization chamber magnetic field correction factors as a function of angle and beam quality.

PURPOSE: To use EGSnrc Monte Carlo simulations for magnetic field dosimetry to determine optimal measurement orientations, calculate beam quality conversion factors for 32 cylindrical and three parallel-plate (PP) ion chambers, evaluate the beam quality and angular dependence of these factors, and examine the magnetic field effects on %dd(10)x and TPR1020. METHODS: Beam quality conversion factors, kQmag, and magnetic field conversion factors, kB  = kQmag/kQ , are calculated as a function of chamber rotation for six cylindrical ionization chamber in either a 60 Co beam with a 0.35 T magnetic field or a 7 MV beam with a 1.5 T field, both magnetic fields are perpendicular to the photon beam. The chambers' sensitive air volumes are varied by either using the entire geometric volume or excluding the air volume associated with the first 1 mm away from the stem. The kB and kQmag factors are evaluated using four clinical photon spectra. The variation in %dd(10)x and TPR1020 as a function of magnetic field for six photon spectra are studied using DOSXYZnrc. RESULTS: When the magnetic field is perpendicular to the photon beam, orienting the chamber parallel with the magnetic field reduces the magnetic field effect on chamber response (i.e., dose to air per water dose) and variations due to the unknown sensitive volume are essentially eliminated. Calculated kB factors are within 1% of unity for the majority of cylindrical chambers, although larger kB values are associated with chambers with high-Z electrodes. PP chambers have kB corrections as large as 8.9% and have a larger angular sensitivity compared to cylindrical chambers. Values of kB for cylindrical ion chambers are independent of beam quality, except for chambers with high-Z electrodes. For %dd(10)x values between 63.3% and 73.8%, kB varies by at most (0.26 ± 0.15)% when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the photon beam and parallel to the chamber. Differences in %dd(10)x , between no magnetic field and with a 1.5 T field perpendicular to the photon beam are (0.04 ± 0.10)%, (1.89 ± 0.10)%, and (6.20 ± 0.10)% for a 60 Co, 7, and 25 MV photon beam, respectively, while TPR1020 shows less than (0.36 ± 0.10)% change. Applying the ICRU-90 recommendations for stopping powers instead of ICRU-37 is found to change kQ (and hence kB ) by less than 0.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Orienting the chamber parallel to the magnetic field when the field is perpendicular to the photon beam will minimize the effect of the magnetic field on chamber response, and eliminate the problem of the unknown sensitive volume. Values of kB and kQmag can bring ion chamber dosimetry in magnetic fields in-line with the TG-51 protocol. PP chamber are sensitive to the magnetic field and variation in chamber response due to small angular changes makes them unlikely candidates for clinical reference dosimetry in magnetic fields. The stability in TPR1020, as a function of magnetic fields and beam qualities, makes it the best beam quality specifier in magnetic fields.

Reply to Comment on 'egs_brachy: a versatile and fast Monte Carlo code for brachytherapy'.

We respond to the comments by Dr Yegin by identifying the source of an error in a fit in our original paper but arguing that the lack of a fit does not affect the conclusion based on the raw data that [Formula: see text] is an accurate code and we provide further benchmarking data to demonstrate this point.

Sensitive volume effects on Monte Carlo calculated ion chamber response in magnetic fields.

PURPOSE: The development of magnetic resonance-guided radiation therapy (MRgRT) necessitates accurate Monte Carlo (MC) models of ion chambers for computing ion chamber corrections to compensate for the presence of the magnetic field. This study evaluates the sensitivity of the ion chamber dose response in a magnetic field on the collection volume used in the MC simulation. METHODS: The EGSnrc system's egs_chamber application is used with a recently developed and validated magnetic field transport code. The calculated dose to the sensitive volume of the chamber per unit incident photon fluence, normalized to that at 0 T, is evaluated as a function of magnetic field for the PTW 30013, PTW 31006, PTW 31010, Exradin A12S, and Exradin A1SL chambers. The sensitive region is varied by excluding the volume corresponding to either 0, 0.5, or 1 mm of distance away from the stem. The photon field, magnetic field, and ion chamber are all oriented perpendicular to each other as in the majority of published experimental works. RESULTS: The calculations for a Co-60 source demonstrate that variations from the 0 mm simulations are on the order of several percent with a maximum deviation, occurring at 0.5 T, of 1.75 ± 0.03% and 3.39 ± 0.06% for the 0.5 mm or 1 mm simulations, respectively, for a 0.057 cm3 A1SL chamber. Larger volume chambers showed smaller, but still non-negligible, variations. Simulations of the A1SL chamber with a 7 MV photon source, corresponding to the Elekta MR-linac machine, demonstrate that the effect is slightly reduced but still persists with a maximum deviation of 1.97 ± 0.08% for the 1 mm reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Usually, the geometric sensitive volume of the ion chamber is used in MC calculation as a substitute for the potentially unknown, smaller, true collection volume (governed by the complex electric field distribution inside the chamber). The calculations in this study demonstrate that even a small variation in simulated volume can lead to fairly large variations in the MC calculated ion chamber response in a magnetic field. This is an important effect that must be addressed to ensure proper calibration of MRgRT machines using MC ion chamber correction factors. This effect may play a role, even where there is no magnetic field, in small-field dosimetry when volume averaging effect are important.

egs_brachy: a versatile and fast Monte Carlo code for brachytherapy.

egs_brachy is a versatile and fast Monte Carlo (MC) code for brachytherapy applications. It is based on the EGSnrc code system, enabling simulation of photons and electrons. Complex geometries are modelled using the EGSnrc C++ class library and egs_brachy includes a library of geometry models for many brachytherapy sources, in addition to eye plaques and applicators. Several simulation efficiency enhancing features are implemented in the code. egs_brachy is benchmarked by comparing TG-43 source parameters of three source models to previously published values. 3D dose distributions calculated with egs_brachy are also compared to ones obtained with the BrachyDose code. Well-defined simulations are used to characterize the effectiveness of many efficiency improving techniques, both as an indication of the usefulness of each technique and to find optimal strategies. Efficiencies and calculation times are characterized through single source simulations and simulations of idealized and typical treatments using various efficiency improving techniques. In general, egs_brachy shows agreement within uncertainties with previously published TG-43 source parameter values. 3D dose distributions from egs_brachy and BrachyDose agree at the sub-percent level. Efficiencies vary with radionuclide and source type, number of sources, phantom media, and voxel size. The combined effects of efficiency-improving techniques in egs_brachy lead to short calculation times: simulations approximating prostate and breast permanent implant (both with (2 mm)3 voxels) and eye plaque (with (1 mm)3 voxels) treatments take between 13 and 39 s, on a single 2.5 GHz Intel Xeon E5-2680 v3 processor core, to achieve 2% average statistical uncertainty on doses within the PTV. egs_brachy will be released as free and open source software to the research community.

Charged particle transport in magnetic fields in EGSnrc.

PURPOSE: To accurately and efficiently implement charged particle transport in a magnetic field in EGSnrc and validate the code for the use in phantom and ion chamber simulations. METHODS: The effect of the magnetic field on the particle motion and position is determined using one- and three-point numerical integrations of the Lorentz force on the charged particle and is added to the condensed history calculation performed by the EGSnrc PRESTA-II algorithm. The code is tested with a Fano test adapted for the presence of magnetic fields. The code is compatible with all EGSnrc based applications, including egs++. Ion chamber calculations are compared to experimental measurements and the effect of the code on the efficiency and timing is determined. RESULTS: Agreement with the Fano test's theoretical value is obtained at the 0.1% level for large step-sizes and in magnetic fields as strong as 5 T. The NE2571 dose calculations achieve agreement with the experiment within 0.5% up to 1 T beyond which deviations up to 1.2% are observed. Uniform air gaps of 0.5 and 1 mm and a misalignment of the incoming photon beam with the magnetic field are found to produce variations in the normalized dose on the order of 1%. These findings necessitate a clear definition of all experimental conditions to allow for accurate Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that ion chamber simulation times are increased by only 38%, and a 10 × 10 × 6 cm(3) water phantom with (3 mm)(3) voxels experiences a 48% increase in simulation time as compared to the default EGSnrc with no magnetic field. CONCLUSIONS: The incorporation of the effect of the magnetic fields in EGSnrc provides the capability to calculate high accuracy ion chamber and phantom doses for the use in MRI-radiation systems. Further, the effect of apparently insignificant experimental details is found to be accentuated by the presence of the magnetic field.

Monte Carlo reference data sets for imaging research: Executive summary of the report of AAPM Research Committee Task Group 195.

The use of Monte Carlo simulations in diagnostic medical imaging research is widespread due to its flexibility and ability to estimate quantities that are challenging to measure empirically. However, any new Monte Carlo simulation code needs to be validated before it can be used reliably. The type and degree of validation required depends on the goals of the research project, but, typically, such validation involves either comparison of simulation results to physical measurements or to previously published results obtained with established Monte Carlo codes. The former is complicated due to nuances of experimental conditions and uncertainty, while the latter is challenging due to typical graphical presentation and lack of simulation details in previous publications. In addition, entering the field of Monte Carlo simulations in general involves a steep learning curve. It is not a simple task to learn how to program and interpret a Monte Carlo simulation, even when using one of the publicly available code packages. This Task Group report provides a common reference for benchmarking Monte Carlo simulations across a range of Monte Carlo codes and simulation scenarios. In the report, all simulation conditions are provided for six different Monte Carlo simulation cases that involve common x-ray based imaging research areas. The results obtained for the six cases using four publicly available Monte Carlo software packages are included in tabular form. In addition to a full description of all simulation conditions and results, a discussion and comparison of results among the Monte Carlo packages and the lessons learned during the compilation of these results are included. This abridged version of the report includes only an introductory description of the six cases and a brief example of the results of one of the cases. This work provides an investigator the necessary information to benchmark his/her Monte Carlo simulation software against the reference cases included here before performing his/her own novel research. In addition, an investigator entering the field of Monte Carlo simulations can use these descriptions and results as a self-teaching tool to ensure that he/she is able to perform a specific simulation correctly. Finally, educators can assign these cases as learning projects as part of course objectives or training programs.

Towards a quantitative, measurement-based estimate of the uncertainty in photon mass attenuation coefficients at radiation therapy energies.

In this study, a quantitative estimate is derived for the uncertainty in the XCOM photon mass attenuation coefficients in the energy range of interest to external beam radiation therapy-i.e. 100 keV (orthovoltage) to 25 MeV-using direct comparisons of experimental data against Monte Carlo models and theoretical XCOM data. Two independent datasets are used. The first dataset is from our recent transmission measurements and the corresponding EGSnrc calculations (Ali et al 2012 Med. Phys. 39 5990-6003) for 10-30 MV photon beams from the research linac at the National Research Council Canada. The attenuators are graphite and lead, with a total of 140 data points and an experimental uncertainty of ∼0.5% (k = 1). An optimum energy-independent cross section scaling factor that minimizes the discrepancies between measurements and calculations is used to deduce cross section uncertainty. The second dataset is from the aggregate of cross section measurements in the literature for graphite and lead (49 experiments, 288 data points). The dataset is compared to the sum of the XCOM data plus the IAEA photonuclear data. Again, an optimum energy-independent cross section scaling factor is used to deduce the cross section uncertainty. Using the average result from the two datasets, the energy-independent cross section uncertainty estimate is 0.5% (68% confidence) and 0.7% (95% confidence). The potential for energy-dependent errors is discussed. Photon cross section uncertainty is shown to be smaller than the current qualitative 'envelope of uncertainty' of the order of 1-2%, as given by Hubbell (1999 Phys. Med. Biol 44 R1-22).

Monte Carlo calculations of electron beam quality conversion factors for several ion chamber types.

PURPOSE: To provide a comprehensive investigation of electron beam reference dosimetry using Monte Carlo simulations of the response of 10 plane-parallel and 18 cylindrical ion chamber types. Specific emphasis is placed on the determination of the optimal shift of the chambers' effective point of measurement (EPOM) and beam quality conversion factors. METHODS: The EGSnrc system is used for calculations of the absorbed dose to gas in ion chamber models and the absorbed dose to water as a function of depth in a water phantom on which cobalt-60 and several electron beam source models are incident. The optimal EPOM shifts of the ion chambers are determined by comparing calculations of R50 converted from I50 (calculated using ion chamber simulations in phantom) to R50 calculated using simulations of the absorbed dose to water vs depth in water. Beam quality conversion factors are determined as the calculated ratio of the absorbed dose to water to the absorbed dose to air in the ion chamber at the reference depth in a cobalt-60 beam to that in electron beams. RESULTS: For most plane-parallel chambers, the optimal EPOM shift is inside of the active cavity but different from the shift determined with water-equivalent scaling of the front window of the chamber. These optimal shifts for plane-parallel chambers also reduce the scatter of beam quality conversion factors, kQ, as a function of R50. The optimal shift of cylindrical chambers is found to be less than the 0.5 rcav recommended by current dosimetry protocols. In most cases, the values of the optimal shift are close to 0.3 rcav. Values of kecal are calculated and compared to those from the TG-51 protocol and differences are explained using accurate individual correction factors for a subset of ion chambers investigated. High-precision fits to beam quality conversion factors normalized to unity in a beam with R50 = 7.5 cm (kQ (')) are provided. These factors avoid the use of gradient correction factors as used in the TG-51 protocol although a chamber dependent optimal shift in the EPOM is required when using plane-parallel chambers while no shift is needed with cylindrical chambers. The sensitivity of these results to parameters used to model the ion chambers is discussed and the uncertainty related to the practical use of these results is evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: These results will prove useful as electron beam reference dosimetry protocols are being updated. The analysis of this work indicates that cylindrical ion chambers may be appropriate for use in low-energy electron beams but measurements are required to characterize their use in these beams.

Effect of improved TLD dosimetry on the determination of dose rate constants for (125)I and (103)Pd brachytherapy seeds.

PURPOSE: To more accurately account for the relative intrinsic energy dependence and relative absorbed-dose energy dependence of TLDs when used to measure dose rate constants (DRCs) for (125)I and (103)Pd brachytherapy seeds, to thereby establish revised "measured values" for all seeds and compare the revised values with Monte Carlo and consensus values. METHODS: The relative absorbed-dose energy dependence, f(rel), for TLDs and the phantom correction, Pphant, are calculated for (125)I and (103)Pd seeds using the EGSnrc BrachyDose and DOSXYZnrc codes. The original energy dependence and phantom corrections applied to DRC measurements are replaced by calculated (f(rel))(-1) and Pphant values for 24 different seed models. By comparing the modified measured DRCs to the MC values, an appropriate relative intrinsic energy dependence, kbq (rel), is determined. The new Pphant values and relative absorbed-dose sensitivities, SAD (rel), calculated as the product of (f(rel))(-1) and (kbq (rel))(-1), are used to individually revise the measured DRCs for comparison with Monte Carlo calculated values and TG-43U1 or TG-43U1S1 consensus values. RESULTS: In general, f(rel) is sensitive to the energy spectra and models of the brachytherapy seeds. Values may vary up to 8.4% among (125)I and (103)Pd seed models and common TLD shapes. Pphant values depend primarily on the isotope used. Deduced (kbq (rel))(-1) values are 1.074 ± 0.015 and 1.084 ± 0.026 for (125)I and (103)Pd seeds, respectively. For (1 mm)(3) chips, this implies an overall absorbed-dose sensitivity relative to (60)Co or 6 MV calibrations of 1.51 ± 1% and 1.47 ± 2% for (125)I and (103)Pd seeds, respectively, as opposed to the widely used value of 1.41. Values of Pphant calculated here have much lower statistical uncertainties than literature values, but systematic uncertainties from density and composition uncertainties are significant. Using these revised values with the literature's DRC measurements, the average discrepancies between revised measured values and Monte Carlo values are 1.2% and 0.2% for (125)I and (103)Pd seeds, respectively, compared to average discrepancies for the original measured values of 4.8%. On average, the revised measured values are 4.3% and 5.9% lower than the original measured values for (103)Pd and (125)I seeds, respectively. The average of revised DRCs and Monte Carlo values is 3.8% and 2.8% lower for (125)I and (103)Pd seeds, respectively, than the consensus values in TG-43U1 or TG-43U1S1. CONCLUSIONS: This work shows that f(rel) is TLD shape and seed model dependent suggesting a need to update the generalized energy response dependence, i.e., relative absorbed-dose sensitivity, measured 25 years ago and applied often to DRC measurements of (125)I and (103)Pd brachytherapy seeds. The intrinsic energy dependence for LiF TLDs deduced here is consistent with previous dosimetry studies and emphasizes the need to revise the DRC consensus values reported by TG-43U1 or TG-43U1S1.

Determination of relative ion chamber calibration coefficients from depth-ionization measurements in clinical electron beams.

A method is presented to obtain ion chamber calibration coefficients relative to secondary standard reference chambers in electron beams using depth-ionization measurements. Results are obtained as a function of depth and average electron energy at depth in 4, 8, 12 and 18 MeV electron beams from the NRC Elekta Precise linac. The PTW Roos, Scanditronix NACP-02, PTW Advanced Markus and NE 2571 ion chambers are investigated. The challenges and limitations of the method are discussed. The proposed method produces useful data at shallow depths. At depths past the reference depth, small shifts in positioning or drifts in the incident beam energy affect the results, thereby providing a built-in test of incident electron energy drifts and/or chamber set-up. Polarity corrections for ion chambers as a function of average electron energy at depth agree with literature data. The proposed method produces results consistent with those obtained using the conventional calibration procedure while gaining much more information about the behavior of the ion chamber with similar data acquisition time. Measurement uncertainties in calibration coefficients obtained with this method are estimated to be less than 0.5%. These results open up the possibility of using depth-ionization measurements to yield chamber ratios which may be suitable for primary standards-level dissemination.

Monte Carlo calculations for reference dosimetry of electron beams with the PTW Roos and NE2571 ion chambers.

PURPOSE: To investigate recommendations for reference dosimetry of electron beams and gradient effects for the NE2571 chamber and to provide beam quality conversion factors using Monte Carlo simulations of the PTW Roos and NE2571 ion chambers. METHODS: The EGSnrc code system is used to calculate the absorbed dose-to-water and the dose to the gas in fully modeled ion chambers as a function of depth in water. Electron beams are modeled using realistic accelerator simulations as well as beams modeled as collimated point sources from realistic electron beam spectra or monoenergetic electrons. Beam quality conversion factors are calculated with ratios of the doses to water and to the air in the ion chamber in electron beams and a cobalt-60 reference field. The overall ion chamber correction factor is studied using calculations of water-to-air stopping power ratios. RESULTS: The use of an effective point of measurement shift of 1.55 mm from the front face of the PTW Roos chamber, which places the point of measurement inside the chamber cavity, minimizes the difference between R50, the beam quality specifier, calculated from chamber simulations compared to that obtained using depth-dose calculations in water. A similar shift minimizes the variation of the overall ion chamber correction factor with depth to the practical range and reduces the root-mean-square deviation of a fit to calculated beam quality conversion factors at the reference depth as a function of R50. Similarly, an upstream shift of 0.34 rcav allows a more accurate determination of R50 from NE2571 chamber calculations and reduces the variation of the overall ion chamber correction factor with depth. The determination of the gradient correction using a shift of 0.22 rcav optimizes the root-mean-square deviation of a fit to calculated beam quality conversion factors if all beams investigated are considered. However, if only clinical beams are considered, a good fit to results for beam quality conversion factors is obtained without explicitly correcting for gradient effects. The inadequacy of R50 to uniquely specify beam quality for the accurate selection of kQ factors is discussed. Systematic uncertainties in beam quality conversion factors are analyzed for the NE2571 chamber and amount to between 0.4% and 1.2% depending on assumptions used. CONCLUSIONS: The calculated beam quality conversion factors for the PTW Roos chamber obtained here are in good agreement with literature data. These results characterize the use of an NE2571 ion chamber for reference dosimetry of electron beams even in low-energy beams.

Comment on 'Monte Carlo simulation on a gold nanoparticle irradiated by electron beams'.

A recent paper by Chow et al (Phys. Med. Biol 57 3323-31) quantifies the dose due to secondary electrons created by gold nanoparticles when irradiated by electron beams. That paper fails to compare this dose to the overall dose from the electron beam. EGSnrc calculations are performed to show that, even for the unrealistically favourable case presented by Chow et al of a very narrow electron beam directed only at the nanoparticle, the dose outside the nanoparticle due to the secondary electrons generated by the nanoparticle is negligible compared to the dose from the primaries. Thus, it is irrelevant whether the dose from secondary particles is enhanced by the nanoparticles or not and there appears to be no advantage to using gold nanoparticles in electron beams, unlike the case for photon beams.