title: In vivo dosimetry with semiconductors in medium dose rate (MDR) brachytherapy for cervical cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to evaluate the role of in vivo dosimetry with semiconductor detectors in gynaecological medium dose rate brachytherapy, and to compare the actual doses delivered to organs at risk (as measured using in vivo dosimetry) with those calculated during treatment planning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Doses to the rectum and bladder were measured in a group of patients with cervical carcinoma using semiconductor detectors and compared to the doses calculated using a treatment planning system. 36 applications of brachytherapy at dose rates of 1.8-2.3 Gy/h were performed in the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean differences between the measured and calculated doses were 3 % for the rectum and 11 % for the bladder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main reason for the differences between the measured and calculated doses was patient movement. To reduce the risk of large errors in the dose delivered, in vivo dosimetry should be performed in addition to treatment planning system computations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allahverdi
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jaberi
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aghili
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghahremani
authors.forename: Ghazale
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Geraily
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012007:Rectum / Q000528:radiation effects; D012666:Semiconductors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000528:radiation effects; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*