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| 2. |
- Enger, Shirin A., et al.
(författare)
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Exploring Co-57 as a new isotope for brachytherapy applications
- 2012
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 39:5, s. 2342-2345
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: The characteristics of the radionuclide Co-57 make it interesting for use as a brachytherapy source. Co-57 combines a possible high specific activity with the emission of relatively low-energy photons and a half-life (272 days) suitable for regular source exchanges in an afterloader. Co-57 decays by electron capture to the stable Fe-57 with emission of 136 and 122 keV photons. Methods: A hypothetical Co-57 source based on the Flexisource brachytherapy encapsulation with the active core set as a pure cobalt cylinder (length 3.5 mm and diameter 0.6 mm) covered with a cylindrical stainless-steel capsule (length 5 mm and thickness 0.125 mm) was simulated using Geant4 Monte Carlo (MC) code version 9.4. The radial dose function, g(r), and anisotropy function F(r,theta), for the line source approximation were calculated following the TG-43U1 formalism. The results were compared to well-known Ir-192 and 1(25)I radionuclides, representing the higher and the lower energy end of brachytherapy, respectively. Results: The mean energy of photons in water, after passing through the core and the encapsulation material was 123 keV. This hypothetical Co-57 source has an increasing g(r) due to multiple scatter of low-energy photons, which results in a more uniform dose distribution than Ir-192. Conclusions: Co-57 has many advantages compared to Ir-192 due to its low-energy gamma emissions without any electron contamination. Co-57 has an increasing g(r) that results in a more uniform dose distribution than Ir-192 due to its multiple scattered photons. The anisotropy of the Co-57 source is comparable to that of Ir-192. Furthermore, Co-57 has lower shielding requirements than Ir-192.
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| 3. |
- Enger, Shirin A., et al.
(författare)
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Gadolinium neutron capture brachytherapy (GdNCB), a new treatment method for intravascular brachytherapy
- 2006
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 33:1, s. 46-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Restenosis is a major problem after balloon angioplasty and stent implantation. The aim of this study is to introduce gadolinium neutron capture brachytherapy (GdNCB) as a suitable modality for treatment of stenosis. The utility of GdNCB in intravascular brachytherapy (IVBT) of stent stenosis is investigated by using the GEANT4 and MCNP4B Monte Carlo radiation transport codes. To study capture rate, Kerma, absorbed dose and absorbed dose rate around a Gd-containing stent activated with neutrons, a 30 mm long, 5 mm diameter gadolinium foil is chosen. The input data is a neutron spectrum used for clinical neutron capture therapy in Studsvik, Sweden. Thermal neutron capture in gadolinium yields a spectrum of high-energy gamma photons, which due to the build-up effect gives an almost flat dose delivery pattern to the first 4 mm around the stent. The absorbed dose rate is 1.33 Gy/min, 0.25 mm from the stent surface while the dose to normal tissue is in order of 0.22 Gy/min, i.e., a factor of 6 lower. To spare normal tissue further fractionation of the dose is also possible. The capture rate is relatively high at both ends of the foil. The dose distribution from gamma and charge particle radiation at the edges and inside the stent contributes to a nonuniform dose distribution. This will lead to higher doses to the surrounding tissue and may prevent stent edge and in-stent restenosis. The position of the stent can be verified and corrected by the treatment plan prior to activation. Activation of the stent by an external neutron field can be performed days after catherization when the target cells start to proliferate and can be expected to be more radiation sensitive. Another advantage of the nonradioactive gadolinium stent is the possibility to avoid radiation hazard to personnel.
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| 4. |
- Enger, Shirin A., et al.
(författare)
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Monte Carlo calculations of thermal neutron capture in gadolinium : a comparison of GEANT4 and MCNP with measurements
- 2006
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 33:2, s. 337-341
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GEANT4 is a Monte Carlo code originally implemented for high-energy physics applications and is well known for particle transport at high energies. The capacity of GEANT4 to simulate neutron transport in the thermal energy region is not equally well known. The aim of this article is to compare MCNP, a code commonly used in low energy neutron transport calculations and GEANT4 with experimental results and select the suitable code for gadolinium neutron capture applications. To account for the thermal neutron scattering from chemically bound atoms [S(alpha,beta)] in biological materials a comparison of thermal neutron fluence in tissue-like poly(methylmethacrylate) phantom is made with MCNP4B, GEANT4 6.0 patch1, and measurements from the neutron capture therapy (NCT) facility at the Studsvik, Sweden. The fluence measurements agreed with MCNP calculated results considering S(alpha,beta). The location of the thermal neutron peak calculated with MCNP without S(alpha,beta) and GEANT4 is shifted by about 0.5 cm towards a shallower depth and is 25%-30% lower in amplitude. Dose distribution from the gadolinium neutron capture reaction is then simulated by MCNP and compared with measured data. The simulations made by MCNP agree well with experimental results. As long as thermal neutron scattering from chemically bound atoms are not included in GEANT4 it is not suitable for NCT applications.
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| 5. |
- Lövqvist, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Kinetics of 76Br-labeled anti-CEA antibodies in pigs : aspects of dosimetry and PET imaging properties
- 1999
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Ingår i: Medical physics (Lancaster). - : Wiley. - 0094-2405. ; 26:2, s. 249-258
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A monoclonal antibody labeled with the positron-emitting radionuclide 76Br (T(1/2) 16.2 h) has previously been shown useful for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of experimental tumors. Our aim in the present study was to investigate the effects of the complex decay scheme of this radionuclide on normal organ dosimetry and PET image quality. Three mini-pigs were injected intravenously with 46-75 MBq of the 76Br-labeled anti-CEA antibody 38S1, and the whole-body kinetics followed by PET imaging for 19 h. From PET data, absorbed doses in human organs were estimated using the MIRDOSE 3.0 software. The highest 76Br concentrations were found in lungs, after a correction for the air volume in this organ. The lungs received the highest absorbed dose (mGy/MBq, mean+/-maximum error), 0.84+/-0.16, followed by liver, 0.74+/-0.28, and small intestine, 0.55+/-0.05, while the effective dose equivalent was 0.41+/-0.03 mSv/MBq. The PET imaging properties of 76Br in a two-dimensional 2D PET camera, including central area resolution and scattering effects, were investigated in phantoms and compared to those of 18F. In a 0.97 g/cm3 material, approximating soft tissue density, the FMHW ("full width at half-maximum") value of the point spread function was 7.7+/-0.2 mm for 76Br and 6.0+/-0.1 mm for 18F. In conclusion, radioimmuno PET using 76Br-labeled antibodies resulted in a fairly even distribution of the radiation dose, where the highest absorbed organ doses were only about two to three times higher than the mean absorbed body dose. The high energy beta+ spectrum in the 76Br decay had only minor effects on the resolution, but may decrease the quantification accuracy, especially in organs with a lower density such as a lung.
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