Planar Brachytherapy Dosimetry

Planar Brachytherapy Source Dosimetry
Graduate Investigator: Manik Aima
Summary of Research: The AAPM Task Group 43 protocol established a dosimetry formalism for small brachytherapy sources.  Dosimetry for large planar brachytherapy sources is inherently different than dosimetry for small brachytherapy sources because of the larger source geometry.  Therefore, a modified source strength measurement technique and dosimetry formalism are needed to appropriately calculate the dose at points of interest around an implanted planar brachytherapy source.  Currently there is no such established source strength measurement that is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and there is no established method for independent source strength verification of planar brachytherapy sources in a clinical setting.  An appropriate source strength measurement and clinical source strength verification methodology are necessary to ensure that patients are implanted with sources of the correct strength so that they receive the intended dose.  The goal of this work is to develop a NIST-traceable source strength measurement for planar brachytherapy sources and to develop a method for independent source strength verification of these sources in a clinical setting.  Additionally, the relationship between experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations will be investigated in order to enable accurate calculations of the absorbed dose at points of interest around the implanted source.