title: Total body irradiation with a reconditioned cobalt teletherapy unit.
abstract: While the current trend in radiotherapy is to replace cobalt teletherapy units with more versatile and technologically advanced linear accelerators, there remain some useful applications for older cobalt units. The expansion of our radiotherapy department involved the decommissioning of an isocentric cobalt teletherapy unit and the replacement of a column-mounted 4-MV LINAC that has been used for total body irradiation (TBI). To continue offering TBI treatments, we converted the decommissioned cobalt unit into a dedicated fixed-field total body irradiator and installed it in an existing medium-energy LINAC bunker. This article describes the logistical and dosimetric aspects of bringing a reconditioned cobalt teletherapy unit into clinical service as a total body irradiator.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, McGill University Health, Centre, 1650 ave. Cedar, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4 Canada. mevans@medphys.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Michael D C
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Renée-Xavière
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Larouche
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivares
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Léger
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Larkin
authors.forename: Carolyn R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Ervin B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Podgorsak
mesh_terms: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes