title: Peripheral dose outside applicators in electron beams.
abstract: The peripheral dose outside the applicators in electron beams was studied using a Varian 21 EX linear accelerator. To measure the peripheral dose profiles and point doses for the applicator, a solid water phantom was used with calibrated Kodak TL films. Peak dose spot was observed in the 4 MeV beam outside the applicator. The peripheral dose peak was very small in the 6 MeV beam and was ignorable at higher energies. Using the 10 x 10 cm(2) cutout and applicator, the dose peak for the 4 MeV beam was about 12 cm away from the field central beam axis (CAX) and the peripheral dose profiles did not change with depths measured at 0.2, 0.5 and 1 cm. The peripheral doses and profiles were further measured by varying the angle of obliquity, cutout and applicator size for the 4 MeV beam. The local peak dose was increased with about 3% per degree angle of obliquity, and was about 1% of the prescribed dose (angle of obliquity equals zero) at 1 cm depth in the phantom using the 10 x 10 cm(2) cutout and applicator. The peak dose position was also shifted 7 mm towards the CAX when the angle of obliquity was increased from 0 to 15 degrees.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
authors.forename: James C L
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Grigor N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Grigorov
mesh_terms: D001822:Body Burden; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004583:Electrons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012542:Scattering, Radiation