title: Estimation of the risk of secondary cancer in the thyroid gland and the breast outside the treated volume in patients undergoing brain, mediastinum and breast radiotherapy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to measure the peripheral dose which is the absorbed dose in organs located outside the treatment volume such as the thyroid gland and the breast in patients undergoing radiotherapy, utilising the MOSFET dosemeters, as well as to estimate the probability of secondary cancer. The thyroid gland doses, expressed as a percentage of the prescribed dose (%TD), were measured to be 2.0±0.3 %, in whole brain irradiation, 10.0±8.0 % in mediastinum treatment and 8.0±2.0 and 2.0±0.8 % in breast treatment, with and without the supraclavicular irradiation, respectively, with a corresponding risk of 0.2, 2.0, 1.0 and 0.3 %. The dose to the breast was 7.0±2.0 %, in the mediastinum treatment, and 4.0±1.0 and 2.0±0.8 %, in the breast treatment, with and without supraclavicular irradiation, respectively, with a corresponding risk of 4.0, 2.0 and 1.0 %. Although the results indicate that the risk is not negligible, its significance should be considered in conjunction with the existing pathology and age of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vlachopoulou
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malatara
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Delis
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kardamakis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panayiotakis
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D058958:Organs at Risk / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011874:Radiometry; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000528:radiation effects*