title: Contribution of secondary particles to the dose in 12C radiotherapy and other heavy ion beams.
abstract: The results of experimental studies performed in a radiotherapy (12)C ion beam with a nominal energy of 500 MeV/amu and in (16)O and (56)Fe ion beams with a nominal energy of 1 GeV/amu have been described. Linear energy transfer (LET) spectra have been established by means of an LET spectrometer based on a chemically etched track detector, and the measured results were also compared with theoretical calculations obtained using the program Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter (SRIM). It was observed that with increasing depth in a beam, the LET spectra are shifted towards higher values of LET; one can also observe an important widening of the spectra along the range, as well as an increasing amount of nuclear reaction products and/or of fragments in the spectra. The relative contribution of these secondary particles to the total absorbed dose was assessed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physics Institute AS CR, Na Truhlárce 39/64, 180 86 Prague 8, Czech Republic. jadrnickova@ujf.cas.cz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jadrnícková
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spurny
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Molokanov
mesh_terms: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D063193:Heavy Ion Radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D018499:Linear Energy Transfer; D008954:Models, Biological; D009502:Neutrons; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000379:methods*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes