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Estimation of organs doses and radiation-induced secondary cancer risk from scattered photons for conventional radiation therapy of nasopharynx: a Monte Carlo study

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Abstract

Purpose

We used Monte Carlo modeling to calculate the organs doses due to out-of field photons during radiation therapy of the nasopharynx.

Materials and methods

A medical internal radiation dose (MIRD)-based mathematical phantom resembling an adult man was modeled by MCNP4C MC code. Three validated models of a cobalt-60 machine, a 6-MV photon beam of a Varian 2300 C/D linac, and a 9-MV photon beam of a Neptun linac were used to simulate the isocentric irradiation of a mathematical phantom with two lateral fields of the nasopharynx. The organspecific dose, effective dose, and cancer risk estimates were obtained.

Results

The effective doses for out-of-field radiation were 320, 295, and 248 mSv for the 60Co beam, 6-MV beam, and 9-MV beam devices, respectively, for a 70-Gy tumor dose. The fatal cancer risks of 1.6%, 1.5%, and 1.2% were estimated for a 70-Gy tumor dose of 60Co and the 6- and 9-MV photon beams, respectively.

Conclusion

Our results regarding the effective dose and cancer risk are in agreement with previously published experimental results on conventional radiation therapy. Further investigation on patients’ out-of-field dose to provide more knowledge on various radiotherapy techniques is suggested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Physics Department, Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Attare-Neishabouri Street, Tabriz, Iran

    Asghar Mesbahi

  2. Radiation Therapy Department, Imam Hospital, Tabriz, Iran

    Asghar Mesbahi, Farshad Seyednejad & Amir Gasemi-Jangjoo

Authors
  1. Asghar Mesbahi
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  2. Farshad Seyednejad
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  3. Amir Gasemi-Jangjoo
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Correspondence to Asghar Mesbahi.

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Mesbahi, A., Seyednejad, F. & Gasemi-Jangjoo, A. Estimation of organs doses and radiation-induced secondary cancer risk from scattered photons for conventional radiation therapy of nasopharynx: a Monte Carlo study. Jpn J Radiol 28, 398–403 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-010-0432-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-010-0432-2

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