title: Alanine and TLD coupled detectors for fast neutron dose measurements in neutron capture therapy (NCT).
abstract: A method was investigated to measure gamma and fast neutron doses in phantoms exposed to an epithermal neutron beam designed for neutron capture therapy (NCT). The gamma dose component was measured by TLD-300 [CaF2:Tm] and the fast neutron dose, mainly due to elastic scattering with hydrogen nuclei, was measured by alanine dosemeters [CH3CH(NH2)COOH]. The gamma and fast neutron doses deposited in alanine dosemeters are very near to those released in tissue, because of the alanine tissue equivalence. Couples of TLD-300 and alanine dosemeters were irradiated in phantoms positioned in the epithermal column of the Tapiro reactor (ENEA-Casaccia RC). The dosemeter response depends on the linear energy transfer (LET) of radiation, hence the precision and reliability of the fast neutron dose values obtained with the proposed method have been investigated. Results showed that the combination of alanine and TLD detectors is a promising method to separate gamma dose and fast neutron dose in NCT.
authors.affiliation: ENEA-FIS-ION, Casaccia RC, via Anguillarese 301, 00060 Santa Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy. angelica.cecilia@casaccia.enea.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cecilia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baccaro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cemmi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gambarini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scolari
mesh_terms: D000409:Alanine / Q000528:radiation effects; D001822:Body Burden; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017247:Neutron Capture Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009502:Neutrons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018511:Systems Integration; D013819:Thermoluminescent Dosimetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D000409:Alanine