title: Alanine dosimetry of proton therapy beams.
abstract: An analysis of some of the properties of the ESR-alanine dosimetry in therapeutic proton beams is reported. Thin alanine-based detectors (1 and 2 mm thick pellets and 0.25 mm thick films) were tested in a clinical 62 MeV proton beam. The response of the alanine detectors in unmodulated and modulated proton beams was studied in tissue equivalent phantoms. The dose assessed by alanine was compared to the dose provided by a Markus parallel plate ionization chamber, used for reference dosimetry. Experiments in the 5-250 Gy dose range showed linearity of alanine dose response and no significant differences in the alanine response per unit dose to gammas and protons. Agreement within the experimental uncertainties was found between the alanine and the Markus chamber depth dose curves, including the Bragg peak region.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onori
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: d'Errico
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fattibene
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janovsky
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy; D013679:Technology, Radiologic; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D000409:Alanine