An international dosimetry exchange for boron neutron capture therapy, Part I: Absorbed dose measurements

P. J. Binns*, K. J. Riley, O. K. Harling, W. S. Kiger, P. M. Munck Af Rosenschöld, V. Giusti, J. Capala, K. Sköld, Iiro Auterinen, T. Serén, Petri Kotiluoto, J. Uusi-Simola, M. Marek, L. Viererbl, F. Spurny

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

    27 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    An international collaboration was organized to undertake a dosimetry exchange to enable the future combination of clinical data from different centers conducting neutron capture therapy trials. As a first step (Part I) the dosimetry group from the Americas, represented by MIT, visited the clinical centers at Studsvik (Sweden), VTT Espoo (Finland), and the Nuclear Research Institute (NRI) at Rez (Czech Republic). A combined VTT/NRI group reciprocated with a visit to MIT. Each participant performed a series of dosimetry measurements under equivalent irradiation conditions using methods appropriate to their clinical protocols. This entailed in-air measurements and dose versus depth measurements in a large water phantom. Thermal neutron flux as well as fast neutron and photon absorbed dose rates were measured. Satisfactory agreement in determining absorbed dose within the experimental uncertainties was obtained between the different groups although the measurement uncertainties are large, ranging between 3% and 30% depending upon the dose component and the depth of measurement. To improve the precision in the specification of absorbed dose amongst the participants, the individually measured dose components were normalized to the results from a single method. Assuming a boron concentration of 15 μg g-1 that is typical of concentrations realized clinically with the boron delivery compound boronophenylalanine-fructose, systematic discrepancies in the specification of the total biologically weighted dose of up to 10% were apparent between the different groups. The results from these measurements will be used in future to normalize treatment plan calculations between the different clinical dosimetry protocols as Part II of this study.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)3729-3736
    Number of pages8
    JournalMedical Physics
    Volume32
    Issue number12
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2005
    MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

    Keywords

    • BNCT
    • Dosimetry intercomparison
    • Thermal neutrons

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