Physical dose measurement

in a water phantom at an accelerator-based

boron neutron capture therapy facility in Korea

JunGyu Yi1),2), Yoonsun Chung1), Sangjune Jeon2), Jaewon Choi2), Kyu young Lee2)

1)Department of Nuclear Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea.

2)Division of Medical Device, DawonMedax Co., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea.

Presentation No. : O-7-05

Abstract No. : 21F-160
Contents

• Introduction

• Materials and Methods

• Depth-dose distribution in water phantom

• with neutron activation method

• with ion chamber for gamma dose

• Result and Discussion

• Conclusion
Introduction
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT)

Selectively target to tumor at the cellular level

10B ɣ-ray
0.48MeV (94%)

10B + n → [11B] → 7Li + 4He + 2.31MeV + ɣ0.48MeV (94%)

10B + n → [11B] → 7Li + 4He + 2.79MeV (6%)

Historical aspect
- Discovery of Neutron by J. Chadwick (1932)
- Discovered that B-10 had large thermal neutron capture cross-section for thermal by Goldhaber (1934)
- Proposed the principle of BNCT by G.L.Locher (1936)
- First clinical study in Brookhaven National Laboratory & Massachusetts General Hospital & Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (1950s -1960s)
3
Accelerator based BNCT system
Ion Source
Beam Shaping Assembly

Moderator
Target
proton 10 MeV
Radio Frequency
Drift Tube Linac Quadruple

BSA Beam Transfer Line

Target : Be Image courtesy of

9Be + p  9B + n -1.85 MeV
(threshold E = 2.06 MeV)

1.5x108 Beam parameters

1.2x108 Designed
IAEA recommend
(@10 MeV, 4 mA)
Neutron flux [n/cm2/s]

9.0x107
Epi-flux > 1.00E+09 1.98E+09

6.0x107 Th./Epi < 5.0% 0.3%

Epi-thermal GD/Epi < 2.00E-13 0.85E-13

3.0x107 (0.5 eV < En < 10 keV)
Thermal Fast
(En < 0.5 keV) (En > 10 keV) J/Φ > 70.0% 71.4%
0.0
10-9 10-8 10-7 10-6 10-5 10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101
Neutron Energy [MeV] 4
Physical Dose of BNCT
4 dose components : Boron dose, Hydrogen dose, Nitrogen doe, Gamma dose

in vivo
B 10B(n,α)7Li DB

H 1H(n,n)p DH
Neutron Thermal
source neutron
N 14N(n,p)14C DN

H 1H(n,γ)2H
γ-ray Dγ
etc.
(incident)

 BNCT Dose (Gy-eq) = wB x DB + wH x DH + wN x DN + Dγ

5
Experiment Setup

Photo of a treatment room

6
Materials and Methods (1)
Thermal neutron flux measurement by gold activation method

γ
Activated element HPGe detector
ENDF/B VII.1 Emax
Af  S  n f   A E   E dE
0
nf : isotope number density [1/cm2] in a element
S : area of element [cm2],
A(E) : activation cross section [cm2].

Af r
 
S  n f  A T
7
Materials and Methods (2)
Gamma dose measurement by Ion chamber Electrometer (Keitheley 6517B)
& DAQ s/w monitoring
Farwest IC-18G
Graphite wall + CO2 gas

280

300

Motorized moving stage control

& data acquisition s/w

by LabViewTM
Motorized moving stage ion chamber in water phantom 8
Materials and Methods (3)
Monte-carlo simulation by MCNP6

PMMA tank

Water

beam port
dia.φ120
Entrance window:
3.05 mm Thick
280

300

• MCNP 6.2 • Phantom tank

− neutron flux (F4 tally) - material : PMMA
− gamma dose - 30 x 30 x 30 (outer), 1 mm thick
: F4 tally x KERMA factors - 3.05mm thick entrance window

9
Result & Discussion (1)
Thermal neutron distribution in water phantom
1.2x109
MCNP
Experiment
1.0x109
Thermal neutron flux [nth/cm2/s] exp. error : ± 2 SD

8.0x108 • Gold wire activation method is suitable for

thermal neutron measurement.
6.0x108
• Difference & errors due to the Systematic
4.0x108
uncertainty,
- HPGe efficiency unc.: 2.46% (2SD)
- CRM unc. : 4.2% (2SD)
2.0x108
- Gamma count stat. unc. < 1%
20
Dmax D50
Difference(1-exp./Calc.), [%]

15
10
5
0
-5
diff. < 4.8 %
-10
-15
-20
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
10
Depth in water phantom [cm]
Result & Discussion (2)
Gamma dose distribution in water phantom
1.2x10-3
MCNP
Experiment
1.0x10-3
exp. error : ± 2 SD

8.0x10-4
Gamma dose [Gy/s]

Ion chamber with auto-moving system is

6.0x10-4
convenient for depth-dose measurement.
- Non-stop measurement
- No access to irradiation room during
4.0x10-4
measurement.
2.0x10-4
Difference & errors due to,
- No detector structure in MC
20
Dmax D50 - Systematic error in experiment
Difference(1-exp./Calc.), [%]

15
10
5
0
-5
-10
diff. < 8 %
-15
-20
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Depth in water phantom [cm]
11
Conclusion

• Physical dose measurement in water phantom,

• Thermal neutron depth-flux by gold wire activation

• Suitable method for thermal neutron flux measurement

• Good agreement experiment data with MC calculations

• gamma depth-dose by ion chamber

• Convenient auto-moving stage

• Need improvements for MC and further study for stable measurements

• This study will be use as a principle study for BNCT dosimetry

 BNCT clinical dose evaluation

 Verification of a dose calculations

Thank you for your attention