Highlights COVID-19 impact on safety in radiation oncology. Failure modes and effects analysis applied to pandemic response. Examination of how infection control measures impact radiotherapy workflow. Multi-institution study of COVID-19-related practices in radiation oncology departments.
The neutron-unbound nucleus 13 Be was populated with a nucleon-exchange reaction from a 71 MeV/u secondary 13 B beam. The decay energy spectrum was reconstructed using invariant mass spectroscopy based on 12 Be fragments in coincidence with neutrons. The data could be described with an s-wave resonance at Er = 0.73(9) MeV with a width of Γr = 1.98(34) MeV and a d-wave resonance at Er = 2.56(13) MeV with a width of Γr = 2.29(73) MeV. The observed spectral shape is consistent with previous one-proton removal reaction measurements from 14 B.
The neutron decay of an unbound resonance in 12 Be has been measured at 1243±21 keV decay energy with a width of 634±60 keV. This state was populated with a one-proton removal reaction from a 71 MeV/u 13 B beam incident upon a beryllium target. The invariant mass reconstruction of the resonance was achieved by measuring the daughter fragment in coincidence with neutrons. Despite being above the 2n separation energy, the state decays predominantly by the emission of one neutron to 11 Be, setting an upper limit on the branching ratio for the two-neutron decay channel to 10 Be of less than 5%. From the characteristics of the population and decay of the resonance, it is concluded that this state cannot correspond to the previously observed state at 4580±5 keV.
Purpose Neutron therapy is a high linear energy transfer modality that is useful for the treatment of radioresistant head and neck (H&N) cancers. It has been limited to 3-dimensioanal conformal-based fast-neutron therapy (3DCNT), but recent technical advances have enabled the clinical implementation of intensity-modulated neutron therapy (IMNT). This study evaluated the comparative dosimetry of IMNT and 3DCNT plans for the treatment of H&N cancers. Materials and Methods Seven H&N IMNT plans were retrospectively created for patients previously treated with 3DCNT at the University of Washington (Seattle). A custom RayStation model with neutron-specific scattering kernels was used for inverse planning. Organ-at-risk (OAR) objectives from the original 3DCNT plan were initially used and were then systematically reduced to investigate the feasibility of improving a therapeutic ratio, defined as the ratio of the mean tumor to OAR dose. The IMNT and 3DCNT plan quality was evaluated using the therapeutic ratio, isodose contours, and dose volume histograms. Results When compared with the 3DCNT plans, IMNT reduces the OAR dose for the equivalent tumor coverage. Moreover, IMNT is most advantageous for OARs in close spatial proximity to the target. For the 7 patients with H&N cancers examined, the therapeutic ratio for IMNT increased by an average of 56% when compared with the 3DCNT. The maximum OAR dose was reduced by an average of 20.5% and 20.7% for the spinal cord and temporal lobe, respectively. The mean dose to the larynx decreased by an average of 80%. Conclusion The IMNT significantly decreases the OAR doses compared with 3DCNT and provides comparable tumor coverage. Improvements in the therapeutic ratio with IMNT are especially significant for dose-limiting OARs near tumor targets. Moreover, IMNT provides superior sparing of healthy tissues and creates significant new opportunities to improve the care of patients with H&N cancers treated with neutron therapy.
Purpose To investigate the impact of strong magnetic fields on the stem‐effect in plastic scintillation detectors (PSDs) using Monte Carlo methods. Methods Prior to building the light guide model, the properties of the Čerenkov process in GEANT4 were investigated by simulating depth‐dose and depth‐Čerenkov emission profiles in water as functions of Čerenkov process input parameters. In addition, profile simulations were performed for magnetic field strengths ranging from 0 T to 1.5 T. A PMMA light guide was constructed in GEANT4 using data from the manufacturer and literature. Simulations were performed with the model as functions of depth and fiber‐beam angle where the simulated stem‐effect spectrum and the Čerenkov light ratio (CLR) were scored and compared to measured data in the literature. The light guide optical properties were iteratively adjusted until agreement between the simulated and measured data was achieved. Simulations were performed with the validated model as functions of depth and magnetic field strength and the simulated data were compared to measured data in the literature. The model was also used to evaluate the sensitivity of the CLR to the various optical properties of the light guide in different irradiation conditions. Results No significant changes in the depth‐dose or depth‐Čerenkov emission profiles were observed with step‐size restrictions imposed by the Čerenkov process input parameters, which was attributed to the condensed history algorithm and transport parameters used in this work. Similar changes in the depth‐dose and depth‐Čerenkov emission profiles were observed with increasing magnetic field strength, which indicates the Čerenkov process is not adversely impacted by the presence of the magnetic field. Following optimization of the light guide optical properties, agreement within two standard deviations was observed between the simulated and measured optical data for all validation geometries considered. Agreement within one standard deviation was observed between the simulated and measured data for all depths and field strengths ≥0 T whereas discrepancies were observed for magnetic field strengths <−0.35 T. These significant differences were attributed to insufficient measurement data for this irradiation configuration during model validation. Of the light guide optical properties investigated, the fluorescence signal had the greatest impact on the CLR sensitivity to the magnetic field. Conclusions No significant change in the Čerenkov emission per dose in water was observed for magnetic field strengths up to 1.5 T. The nominal fiber fluorescence signal was found to have a significant impact on the CLR sensitivity to varying irradiation conditions where changes up to 11.7% were observed whereas the mirror reflectivity and fiber attenuation had a modest impact with maximum CLR changes of 2.6% and 1.2% relative to 0 T, respectively. The results of this work suggest light guides with low fiber fluorescence should be used with PSDs for dosimetry measurements in magnetic fields t...
Purpose: The aim of this work is to propose a method to optimize radioactive source localization (RSL) for non‐palpable breast cancer surgery. RSL is commonly used as a guiding technique during surgery for excision of non‐palpable tumors. A collimated hand‐held detector is used to localize radioactive sources implanted in tumors. Incisions made by the surgeon are based on maximum observed detector counts, and tumors are subsequently resected based on an arbitrary estimate of the counts expected at the surgical margin boundary. This work focuses on building a framework to predict detector counts expected throughout the procedure to improve surgical margins. Methods: A gamma detection system called the Neoprobe GDS was used for this work. The probe consists of a cesium zinc telluride crystal and a collimator. For this work, an I‐125 Best Medical model 2301 source was used. The source was placed in three different phantoms, a PMMA, a Breast (25%‐ glandular tissue/75%‐ adipose tissue) and a Breast (75‐25) phantom with a backscatter thickness of 6 cm. Counts detected by the probe were recorded with varying amounts of phantom thicknesses placed on top of the source. A calibration curve was generated using MATLAB based on the counts recorded for the calibration dataset acquired with the PMMA phantom. Results: The observed detector counts data used as the validation set was accurately predicted to within ±3.2%, ±6.9%, ±8.4% for the PMMA, Breast (75‐25), Breast (25–75) phantom respectively. The average difference between predicted and observed counts was −0.4%, 2.4%, 1.4% with a standard deviation of 1.2 %, 1.8%, 3.4% for the PMMA, Breast (75‐25), Breast (25–75) phantom respectively. Conclusion: The results of this work provide a basis for characterization of a detector used for RSL. Counts were predicted to within ±9% for three different phantoms without the application of a density correction factor.
Purpose: Radiation biology research relies on an accurate radiation dose delivered to the biological target. Large field irradiations in a cabinet irradiator may use the AAPM TG‐61 protocol. This relies on an air‐kerma measurement and conversion to absorbed dose to water (Dw) on the surface of a water phantom using provided backscatter factors. Cell or small animal studies differ significantly from this reference geometry. This study aims to determine the impact of the lack of full scatter conditions in four representative geometries that may be used in radiobiology studies. Methods: MCNP6 was used to model the Dw on the surface of a full scatter phantom in a validated orthovoltage x‐ray reference beam. Dw in a cylindrical mouse, 100 mm Petri dish, 6‐well and 96‐well cell culture dishes was simulated and compared to this full scatter geometry. A reference dose rate was measured using the TG‐61 protocol in a cabinet irradiator. This nominal dose rate was used to irradiate TLDs in each phantom to a given dose. Doses were obtained based on TLDs calibrated in a NIST‐traceable beam. Results: Compared to the full scattering conditions, the simulated dose to water in the representative geometries were found to be underestimated by 12‐26%. The discrepancy was smallest with the cylindrical mouse geometry, which most closely approximates adequate lateral‐ and backscatter. TLDs irradiated in the mouse and petri dish phantoms using the TG‐61 determined dose rate showed similarly lower values of Dw. When corrected for this discrepancy, they agreed with the predicted Dw within 5%. Conclusion: Using the TG‐61 in‐air protocol and given backscatter factors to determine a reference dose rate in a biological irradiator may not be appropriate given the difference in scattering conditions between irradiation and calibration. Without accounting for this, the dose rate is overestimated and is dependent on irradiation geometry.
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