In recent years, advancements in imaging devices and computer technology have enabled highly precise and sophisticated radiation treatment planning in the field of radiation therapy. Precision radiation therapy involves concentrating high doses of rad...
In recent years, advancements in imaging devices and computer technology have enabled highly precise and sophisticated radiation treatment planning in the field of radiation therapy. Precision radiation therapy involves concentrating high doses of radiation on tumor tissues, making accurate localization of the treatment area essential. Consequently, image-guided radiation therapy, which involves capturing the patient's position through imaging before treatment to precisely target radiation, is employed. Image-guided radiation therapy utilizes CBCT and MVCT imaging to obtain three-dimensional images for accurate patient positioning and alignment. However, this process involves additional radiation exposure to the patient during the positioning verification, raising concerns from both radiation protection and medical radiation management perspectives. Therefore, there is a need to quantitatively assess the potential exposure during CBCT and MVCT imaging and evaluate patient safety resulting from such exposure. This study aims to quantitatively predict radiation exposure levels associated with CBCT and MVCT imaging to assess radiological safety and provide fundamental data for optimizing radiation protection in the field of radiation therapy.
In this study, we evaluated depth doses and lens doses using a linear accelerator capable of CBCT (Elekta Versa HD, Sweden) and a tomotherapy system capable of MVCT (Tomotherapy, Hi-Art system, Accuray Incorporated, USA). To assess depth doses, a Cheese phantom was employed. Thirteen glass dosimeters were positioned radially from the center to measure depth doses at various depths. Point 1 was designated as the closest point to the surface, and point 13 as the center, with doses evaluated at each point. CBCT was performed under Head, Chest, and Pelvis imaging conditions, and MVCT under Fine, Normal, and Coarse imaging conditions, with each measurement repeated five times. For lens dose evaluations, a human body model phantom was created using a 3D printer. The phantom was designed with three glass dosimeters inserted into each orbital cavity. CBCT was conducted under Head imaging conditions, and MVCT under Fine, Normal, and Coarse imaging conditions, with each measurement repeated three times.
Depth dose evaluations during a single CBCT scan showed minimum and maximum depth doses per imaging condition ranging from 0.39±0.01 mGy to 14.14±0.32 mGy. The standard deviations averaged 2.06 % in Pelvis, 3.28 % in Chest, and 3.03% in Head scans. For MVCT scans, depth dose evaluations during a single scan indicated minimum and maximum depth doses per imaging condition ranging from 6.50±0.05 mGy to 21.56±0.47 mGy. The standard deviations averaged 2.19 % in Fine, 3.13 % in Normal, and 3.82 % in Coarse scans. Regarding lens dose evaluations using a human body model phantom, during a single CBCT scan under Head imaging conditions, the average lens dose was 2.15±0.13 mGy. For MVCT scans, under Fine imaging conditions, the average lens dose was 24.77±0.70 mGy, under Normal conditions it was 13.10±0.38 mGy, and under Coarse conditions it was 9.5±0.51 mGy.
Through this study, it is determined that additional doses can be predicted based on depth variations during CBCT and MVCT imaging. By predicting additional doses to critical organs during the treatment planning phase, it is anticipated that a more precise treatment plan can be developed, thereby reducing radiation therapy-related side effects and complications.