Monte Carlo simulation to assess free space and end-weld thickness variation effects on dose rate for a new Ir-192 brachytherapy source

Lucas Verdi Angelocci; Carla Daruich de Souza; Evaggelos Pantelis; Beatriz Ribeiro Nogueira; Carlos Alberto Zeituni; Maria Elisa Chueri Martins Rostelato

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109709

Monte Carlo simulation to assess free space and end-weld thickness variation effects on dose rate for a new Ir-192 brachytherapy source

Appl Radiat Isot. 2021 Jul:173:109709. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109709. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Authors

Lucas Verdi Angelocci¹, Carla Daruich de Souza², Evaggelos Pantelis³, Beatriz Ribeiro Nogueira⁴, Carlos Alberto Zeituni⁵, Maria Elisa Chueri Martins Rostelato⁶

Affiliations

¹ Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: lucasangelocci@usp.br.
² Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: carladdsouza@yahoo.com.br.
³ Medical Physics Laboratory, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. Electronic address: vpantelis@phys.uoa.gr.
⁴ Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: bia.ribnog@gmail.com.
⁵ Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: czeituni@ipen.br.
⁶ Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: elisaros@ipen.br.

PMID: 33865052
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109709

Abstract

A new Iridium-192 seed for brachytherapy is under development. Specific dose rate contribution by two different factors were evaluated: the effect from movement of the core in the free space within the seed and the effect of the end-weld thickness variation. Both were investigated through use of the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP6 and an in-house routine programmed with MATLAB. Differences greater than 15% compared to results from the nominal seed were found near the source, indicating a significant dose variation.

Keywords: Brachytherapy; Dosimetry; Iridium-192 seeds; Monte Carlo simulations; Source production.

MeSH terms

Brachytherapy*
Computer Simulation
Humans
Iridium Radioisotopes / therapeutic use*
Monte Carlo Method
Radiotherapy Dosage*

Substances

Iridium Radioisotopes
Iridium-192