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Contralateral breast dose from chest wall and breast irradiation: local experience

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Abstract

Second cancer induction in the contralateral breast (CB) is an issue of some concern in breast radiotherapy especially for women under the age of 45 years at the time of treatment. The CB dose from 2-field and 3-field techniques in post-mastectomy chest wall irradiations in an anthropomorphic phantom as well as in patients were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) at the local radiotherapy center. Breast and chest wall radiotherapy treatments were planned conformally (3D-CRT) and delivered using 6-MV photons. The measured CB dose at the surface fell sharply with distance from the field edge. However, the average ratio of the measured to the calculated CB dose using the pencil beam algorithm at the surface was approximately 53%. The mean and median measured internal dose at the posterior border of CB in a phantom was 5.47 ± 0.22 cGy and 5.44 cGy, respectively. The internal CB dose was relatively independent of depth. In the present study the internal CB dose is 2.1–4.1% of the prescribed dose which is comparable to the values reported by other authors.

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Acknowledgement

We are indebted to Universiti Sains Malaysia for providing us with a fellowship and a short-term grant. We are grateful to the Radiotherapy Unit of Mt Miriam Cancer Center in Penang, Malaysia for use of the LINAC. We thank the physicists at the Mt Miriam Cancer Center for all their help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Medical & Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, No. 1-8 (Lot 8), Persiaran Seksyen 4/1, Bandar Putra Bertam, Kepala Batas, 13200, Penang, Malaysia

    A. S. Alzoubi

  2. School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

    S. Kandaiya & A. Shukri

  3. Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Penang General Hospital, Penang, Malaysia

    E. Elsherbieny

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  1. A. S. Alzoubi
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  2. S. Kandaiya
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  4. E. Elsherbieny
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Correspondence to A. S. Alzoubi.

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Alzoubi, A.S., Kandaiya, S., Shukri, A. et al. Contralateral breast dose from chest wall and breast irradiation: local experience. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 33, 137–144 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-010-0011-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-010-0011-y

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