A simplified shielding approach for limiting fetal dose during radiation therapy of pregnant patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effectiveness of a simple and practical shielding device to reduce fetal dose for a patient undergoing radiation therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.


METHODS
Using 5-cm-thick lead bricks and a heavy-duty steel cart, a 50 x 50-cm portable shield was designed and fabricated to reduce fetal dose due to collimator scatter and head leakage radiation. With the gantry at 90 degrees /270 degrees the shield can be easily positioned between the machine head and the fetus to reduce peripheral dose. Dose measurements for 6-MV X-rays and 9-MeV electrons have been made, utilizing a Rando phantom, to quantify the effect of the shield.


RESULTS
Measurements show that the peripheral dose to the fetus can be reduced by 60% when the simple shielding device is used.
Islam
M K
MK
Department of Biomedical Physics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. islam@rmp.uhn.on.ca
Saeedi
F
F
Al-Rajhi
N
N
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D010825:Physics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012542:Scattering, Radiation