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- Munck af Rosenschöld, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Prompt gamma tomography during BNCT – a feasibility study
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Instrumentation. - 1748-0221. ; 1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The success of clinical boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) lies in the ability to manage the radiobiological effect on the tumour and healthy tissue, and thus, accurate dosimetry measurements is pertinent for each individual patient. In the present work we investigate the possibility of performing online prompt gamma tomography (PGT) during BNCT. A prototype detector system was constructed, which is in principle a pin-hole collimator with a HPGe crystal to be mounted on a C-bow device, with shielding of lithium-plastic and lead. The detector system was used to measure on a phantom placed in an epithermal neutron beam and on a 137Cs-source. The possibility of tomographic reconstruction using the detector system was tested on a phantom filled with a 131I-solution with a smaller sphere inserted containing a higher specific activity (ratio 10:1). The detector system was possible to operate up to about 6 × 108 cm-2 s-1 thermal neutron fluence at the peak in the phantom, at which time it was saturated. A 478 keV boron-peak was visible in the measured spectra but the signal-to-noise-ratio was rather low. No post-irradiation damage or neutron activation was detectable. A tomographic reconstruction of the phantom filled with 131I-solutions was performed using an algorithm developed in house and based on the MLEM method. The image quality is fairly good and the results provide a clear indication that the detector system can be used to obtain data that enables tomographic reconstruction. A spatial resolution of the detector system of about 2 cm was obtained from both the measurement on the 137Cs-source and the 131I-phantom. In conclusion, the presented feasibility study on a prototype PGT system is encouraging further studies specifically directed at improving the signal-to-noise-ratio in measurements in epithermal neutron beams.
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- Olofsson, Jörgen, 1970-
(författare)
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Developing and evaluating dose calculation models for verification of advanced radiotherapy
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A prerequisite for modern radiotherapy is the ability to accurately determine the absorbed dose (D) that is given to the patient. The subject of this thesis has been to develop and evaluate efficient dose calculation models for high-energy photon beams delivered by linear accelerators. Even though the considered calculation models are general, the work has been focused on quality assurance (QA) tools used to independently verify the dose for individual treatment plans. The purpose of this verification is to guarantee patient safety and to improve the treatment outcome. Furthermore, a vital part of this work has been to explore the prospect of estimating the dose calculation uncertainties associated with individual treatment setups. A discussion on how such uncertainty estimations can facilitate improved clinical QA procedures by providing appropriate action levels has also been included within the scope of this thesis. In order to enable efficient modelling of the physical phenomena that are involved in dose output calculations it is convenient to divide them into two main categories; the first one dealing with the radiation exiting the accelerator’s treatment head and a second one associated with the subsequent energy deposition processes. A multi-source model describing the distribution of energy fluence emitted from the treatment head per delivered monitor unit (MU) is presented and evaluated through comparisons with measurements in multiple photon beams and collimator settings. The calculations show close agreement with the extensive set of experimental data, generally within +/-1% of corresponding measurements. The energy (dose) deposition in the irradiated object has been modelled through a photon pencil kernel solely based on a beam quality index (TPR20,10). This model was evaluated in a similar manner as the multi-source model at three different treatment depths. A separate study was focused on the specific difficulties associated with dose calculations in points located at a distance from the central beam axis. Despite the minimal input data required to characterize individual photon beams, the accuracy proved to be very good when comparing the calculated results with experimental data. The evaluated calculation models were finally used to analyse how well the lateral dose distributions from typical megavoltage photon beams are optimized with respect to the resulting beam flatness characteristics. The results did not reveal any obvious reasons why different manufacturers should provide different lateral dose distributions. Furthermore, the performed lateral optimizations indicate that there is room for improved flatness performance for the investigated linear accelerators.
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| 4. |
- Ottosson, Rickard, et al.
(författare)
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The feasibility of using Pareto fronts for comparison of treatment planning systems and delivery techniques
- 2009
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 48:2, s. 233-237
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pareto optimality is a concept that formalises the trade-off between a given set of mutually contradicting objectives. A solution is said to be Pareto optimal when it is not possible to improve one objective without deteriorating at least one of the other. A set of Pareto optimal solutions constitute the Pareto front. The Pareto concept applies well to the inverse planning process, which involves inherently contradictory objectives, high and uniform target dose on one hand, and sparing of surrounding tissue and nearby organs at risk (OAR) on the other. Due to the specific characteristics of a treatment planning system (TPS), treatment strategy or delivery technique, Pareto fronts for a given case are likely to differ. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using Pareto fronts as a comparative tool for TPSs, treatment strategies and delivery techniques. In order to sample Pareto fronts, multiple treatment plans with varying target conformity and dose sparing of OAR were created for a number of prostate and head neck IMRT cases. The DVHs of each plan were evaluated with respect to target coverage and dose to relevant OAR. Pareto fronts were successfully created for all studied cases. The results did indeed follow the definition of the Pareto concept, i.e. dose sparing of the OAR could not be improved without target coverage being impaired or vice versa. Furthermore, various treatment techniques resulted in distinguished and well separated Pareto fronts. Pareto fronts may be used to evaluate a number of parameters within radiotherapy. Examples are TPS optimization algorithms, the variation between accelerators or delivery techniques and the degradation of a plan during the treatment planning process. The issue of designing a model for unbiased comparison of parameters with such large inherent discrepancies, e.g. different TPSs, is problematic and should be carefully considered. fc.
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| 6. |
- Persson, Bertil R, et al.
(författare)
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Survival of rats with N29 brain tumours after irradiation with 5 or 15 Gy and immunization with IFN-gamma secreting tumour cells
- 2008
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Ingår i: BioMedical Engineering and Informatics : New Development and the Future - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on BioMedical Engineering and Informatics, BMEI 2008 - New Development and the Future - Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on BioMedical Engineering and Informatics, BMEI 2008. - 9780769531182 ; 2, s. 243-247
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Intra cerebral tumours were inoculated into the brain of Fischer-344 syngeneic rats. After one week they were treated with either 5 or 15 Gy of Co-60-gamma radiation. The first immunization was given 1 hour before the radiation treatment and then two more times with 14-day intervals. Immunization was performed with 3 x 10(6) radiation sterilized IFN-gamma secreting tumour cells (N29) injected intraperitoneally. Neither radiation therapy with 5 or 15 Gy nor immunization with N29 cells alone had any significant effect on the length of survival of N29 tumour bearing rats. But radiation therapy with 5 Gy combined with immunization with IFN-gamma secreting syngeneic N29 cells resulted in 63 % complete remissions and significantly (p < 0.05) increased survival for the tumour bearing rats. Corresponding combination with 15 Gy RT resulted in 50% complete remissions. There is a possibility of a synergistic effect by optimal combination of radiation therapy and immunization.
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- Söderberg, Jonas, 1969-
(författare)
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Dosimetry and radiation quality in fast-neutron radiation therapy : A study of radiation quality and basic dosimetric properties of fast-neutrons for external beam radiotherapy and problems associated with corrections of measured charged particle cross-sections
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The dosimetric properties of fast-neutron beams with energies ≤80 MeV were explored using Monte Carlo techniques. Taking into account transport of all relevant types of released charged particles (electrons, protons, deuterons, tritons, 3He and α particles) pencil-beam dose distributions were derived and used to calculate absorbed dose distributions. Broad-beam depth doses in phantoms of different materials were calculated and compared and the scaling factors required for converting absorbed dose in one material to absorbed dose in another derived. The scaling factors were in good agreement with available published data and show that water is a good substitute for soft tissue even at neutron energies as high as 80 MeV. The inherent penumbra and the fraction of absorbed dose due to photon interactions were also studied, and found to be consistent with measured values reported in the literature.Treatment planning in fast-neutron therapy is commonly performed using dose calculation algorithms designed for photon beam therapy. When applied to neutron beams, these algorithms have limitations arising from the physical models used. Monte Carlo derived neutron pencil-beam kernels were parameterized and implemented in the photon dose calculation algorithms of the TMS (MDS Nordion) treatment planning system. It was shown that these algorithms yield good results in homogeneous water media. However, the method used to calculate heterogeneity corrections in the photon dose calculation algorithm did not yield correct results for neutron beams in heterogeneous media.To achieve results with adequate accuracy using Monte Carlo simulations, fundamental cross-section data are needed. Neutron cross-sections are still not sufficiently well known. At the The Svedberg Laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden, an experimental facility has been designed to measure neutron-induced charged-particle production cross-sections for (n,xp), (n,xd), (n,xt), (n,x3He) and (n,xα) reactions at neutron energies up to 100 MeV. Depending on neutron energy, these generated particles account for up to 90% of the absorbed dose. In experimental determination of the cross-sections, measured data have to be corrected for the energies lost by the charged particles before leaving the target in which they were generated. To correct for the energy-losses, a computational code (CRAWL) was developed. It uses a stripping method. With the limitation of reduced energy resolution, spectra derived using CRAWL compares well with those derived using other methods.In fast-neutron therapy, the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) varies from 1.5 to 5, depending on neutron energy, dose level and biological end-point. LET and other physical quantities, developed within the field of microdosimetry over the past couple of decades, have been used to describe RBE variations between different fast-neutron beams as well as within a neutron irradiated body. In this work, a Monte Carlo code (SHIELD-HIT) capable of transporting all charged particles contributing to absorbed dose, was used to calculate energy-differential charged particle spectra. Using these spectra, values of the RBE related quantities LD, γD, γ* and R were derived and studied as function of neutron energy, phantom material and position in a phantom. Reasonable agreement with measured data in the literature was found and indicates that the quantities may be used to predict RBE variations in an arbitrary fast-neutron beam.
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