title: Refined gypsum effective attenuation coefficients for Co-60, 6 MV, 10 MV and 18 MV x-rays.
abstract: We report new effective linear attenuation coefficients (mueff) for refined gypsum for Co-60 and 18 MV x-rays. 6 MV and 10 MV mueff agree with published data. For a 100 cm2 field size (FS), tissue defect x = 1.35 cm, target depth d = 1.65 cm beneath the tissue defect x, mueff is 0.123 cm(-1) (Co-60) and 0.0934 cm(-1) (6 MV). For 100 cm2, x = 1.35 cm, and d = 5.65 cm beneath x, mueff is 0.072 cm(-1) (10 MV), and 0.0614 cm(-1) (18 MV). Ford, mueff decreases about 10% from 25 to 400 cm2. For a given FS, mueff decreases with d by 3%-5% for Co-60, and 3% for 6 MV, 10 MV and 18 MV, but depends on (d - x). For d, when x is large (8 cm), depending on energy and FS, mueff is 2%-4% less than when x is small (2 cm). These data were used in a treatment-planning computer to design compensator filters for a step phantom. Compensation was to within 10% in the compensation plane (CP). Above and below CP, computer-calculated ratios of doses with and without filters were 0.75-1.13. Chamber dose ratios with and without filters were 0.75-1.12.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, 2160 S 1st Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA. gglasgo@lumc.edu
authors.forename: Glenn P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Glasgow
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stanton
mesh_terms: D002133:Calcium Sulfate / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D008420:Manufactured Materials; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011786:Quality Control; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes; D002133:Calcium Sulfate