The use of immobilization plastic masks in head and neck radiotherapy can partially eliminate skin benefits derived from the utilization of megavoltage photon beams. Filters and blocks between the patient and the accelerator can further increase the skin dose value. In this study, the increase in surface dose due to 2 and 3.2 mm of plastic material utilized for patient immobilization was measured. Then, the effect of blocking trays, wedges, and blocks on skin dose in typical conditions for head and neck irradiation was evaluated. The measurements were obtained with a NE2534 chamber (Markus type) on a perspex phantom for 6 MeV x-rays from an accelerator.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.