Universidade de São Paulo - Brazil

Seminario Cientifico Internacional

Verano-2010
Water-equivalent calibration of 192Ir HDR
brachytherapy source using MAGIC-f
polymer gel
Mirko Alva, Tatiana Marques, Marcelo Schwarcke, Leandro Gonçalves,
Oswaldo Baffa and Patrícia Nicolucci

Trujillo 11-13
enero - 2010 1
 Introduction to radiotherapy
Application of ionizing radiation to treat diseases
such as malignat tumors.

Erradication of cancer cells, protecting the

surrounding healthy tissues.

2
 Introduction to radiotherapy
It is divided into: brachytherapy and teletherapy.

Brachytherapy

3
 Introduction to radiotherapy
Teletherapy

4
Introduction to radioactive
source in brachytherapy

5
Application of the Ir-192

6
Application of the Ir-192

7
 192
Ir HDR Source Calibration

Ir HDR with a half-life of 74 days, emitting beta rays ranging from 350
192

keV to 670 keV, and everage gamma ray of 370 keV.

The calibration of 192Ir HDR is a special case, no PSDL maintains

standards for this radiation quality.

The calibration for this source is based on an interpolation technique.

The calibration protocols for HDR brachytherapy sources recommend a

specification in reference to air kerma rate using an ionization chamber.

Protocols for the external beam radiotherapy has been changing from an
air kerma base to standards of absorbed dose to water. 8
 Introduction to dosimetry
Some common dosimetries in radiotherapy are:
ionization chamber, TLD, diodes, and recently
dosimetry based in gel polymerics.

IC
9
 Introduction to dosimetry
TLDs

10
 Introduction to dosimetry
Diodes

11
 Introduction to dosimetry
Gels

12
 MAGIC - F
(Metacrylic Ascorbic in Gelatin Initiated by Copper , with
Formaldehyde)

Effective atomic number of 7.41 and saptial resolution better than

0.5mm

The monomers of the MAGIC-f are immersed in a gelatinous matrix.

This gel before irradiated suffered a polimeric reaction proportional to
the amount of absorbed dose.

13
 Purpose
Calibration of Ir-192 HDR sources in reference of
water-equivalent medium using MAGIC-f gel .

14
 Material and Methods
MAGIC-f gel

Calibration curve
PPIC

TLD

MAGIC-f gel

Percentage depth PPIC

dose curve TLD

PENELOPE-MC 15
 MAGIC-f gel
The gel was prepared following Fernandes protocol*

Components
• 300 bloom – Gelatin
• Mili-Q water
• Copper solution
• Ascorbic acid
• Metacrylic acid
• Formaldehyde

________________________________________________________________
* Fernandes J, Pastorello B, Araujo D and Baffa O 2008 Formaldehyde increases MAGIC gel dosimeter
melting point and sensitivity Phys. Med. Biol. 53 N53-58 16
 Reading procedure of MAGIC-f:
MRI-Relaxometry
 1.5 T scanner (Siemens Magnetom Vision).
 Brain coil.

 Multi Spin Echo Sequence:

- 16 echo time (multiples of 22.5 ms)
- Repetition time of 3000 ms
- Matrix size: 512x512 pixels
- Slice thickness: 2 mm
- FOV: 150 mm

 All acquisitions were averaged for each scan

 Reading before 24h.

17
 Processing images
Analyzing the MRI

________________________ ________________________
NMR Image R2 map 18
Methods and Results

19
  Calibration curve with MAGIC-f gel
3.5 mm

12 mm 0.6 mm 192
Ir 1.6 mm

75 mm __________________________
________________________ 192
Ir - Gamma Med Plus 232
Glass tube of 5ml

Glass tubes

Catheter

Catheter Source
Support
________________________________
Support for calibration curve 20
Calibration curve for MAGIC-f

14

12

10

R2 ( s )
-1
8

0
0 2 4 6 8 10

Dose (Gy)

21
  PPD with MAGIC-f gel 3.5 mm

0.6 mm 1.6 mm

____________________________
Catheter 192
Ir dimension

80 mm

Source
Gel Position of the
Catheter
______________________
120 mm
________________________________ After irradiation
Phantom for PDD
22
 Percentage depth dose for MAGIC-f

100

Percentage depth dose

80

60

40

20
Gel
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
______________________
Phantom for PDD
Depth (mm)

23
 Plane parallel ionization chamber
(Markus type, 0.05cm³).

Source

Water
______________________
Plane parallel ionization
Catheter chamber
50 mm

Support

Ionization
3.5 mm
Chamber

0.6 mm 192
Ir 1.6 mm
______________________
Cubic PMMA Phantom
__________________________
192
Ir dimension
24
 Calibration curve for Ionization Chamber

Doses of 0.39 to 3.73 Gy

180

Source 160
140

Response (nC)
120
100
80
60
40
Ionization
20
Chamber
0
0 1 2 3 4
______________________
Set-up CC with IC Dose (Gy)

25
 Percentage depth dose for Ionization
Chamber

100

Percentage depth dose

80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
______________________
Set-up PDD for IC Depth (mm)

26
TLDs
(LiF-100 with dimensions: 0.9 x 0.9 x 3.1 mm3).

Source

Water

_______________
Catheter
TLDs

Support
TLD

3.5 mm

______________________ 0.6 mm 192

Ir 1.6 mm
Cubic PMMA Phantom
__________________________
192
Ir dimension
27
 Calibration curve for TLDs

Source 60

Response (10 nC)

50

3
40

30

20

TLD 10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10
______________________ Dose (Gy)
Cubic PMMA Phantom

28
 Percentage depth dose for TLD

100

Percentage depth dose

80

60

40

20

______________________ 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Set-up for PDD with TLD
Depth

29
  PENELOPE-Monte Carlo Simulation
(PENetration and Energy LOss of Positron and Electrons)
• PENELOPE is a code for the Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport.

• It is written in FORTRAN77 and it describes the transport and the interaction

of photons, electrons and positrons.

• This code includes a database of cross sections

and atomic parameters.

• The reliability of the physics models has been

extensively tested by the PENELOPE group*.

______________________________________________________________________
* Salvat F, Fernadez-Varea JM, Sempau J 2003 A code system for Monte Carlo simulation of electron and
photon transport. France: OECD/NEA Data Blank, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. 30
 PDD with PENELOPE-Monte Carlo Simulation

• Simulated cubic water phantom

with dimensions of 30 x 30 x 30 cm3

• Simulation of all anisotropic properties

of the brachytherapy extended source.

Considered spectrum:
- Beta radiation of 240, 536 and 672 keV
- Photons average energy of 376 keV

• The simulating considered the same geometry and irradiation conditions

used to the dosimeters.

31
 Dose maps around the HDR 192Ir source obtained experimentally with MAGIC-
f polymer gel and through the PENELOPE simulation.

MAGIC-f gel PENELOPE

32
Percentage Depth Dose curve

MAGIC GEL
100 Ionization Chamber
TLD
Percentage depth dose

PENELOPE simulation
80

60

40

20

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Depth (mm)
33
 Percentage differences between MAGIC-f and TLD, IC, and PENELOPE

PENELOPE - MAGIC GEL

1.5 Ionization chamber - MAGIC GEL
TLD - MAGIC GEL

1.0

0.5
% Difference

0.0

-0.5

-1.0

-1.5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Depth (mm)
34
 Conclusions
 From the percentage depth dose and calibration curve results it can be
concluded that MAGIC-f polymer gel can be used as dosimeter in routinely
clinical procedures

 MAGIC-f can be used to check the calibration of Ir HDR sources in a water-

192

equivalent medium, as part of the quality assurance in HDR brachytherapy,

determining absorbed doses in distances lower than the recommend point
(1cm).

 Dose distributions obtained with MAGIC-f gel can also be used as volumetric
reference in 3D calibrations.

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Thank you!!

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