Unexpected dose and the biological effect of neutron contamination in linear accelerators

Authors

Abstract

Employing High-energy photons in medical linear accelerators can lead to neutron contamination. The relative biological effect of neutrons is 20 times higher than photons. Consequently, its damage to the biological tissue is much higher and unobtrusive. In this study, we calculated neutron equivalent dose in a medical linear accelerator by the FLUKA Monte Carlo code system. The results show that using smaller treatment fields increases the neutron contamination dose in out-of-field areas. Furthermore, the areas outside the treatment field receive several times higher neutron dose than the photon dose. Most of the neutron dose distribution is at the surface of the human body. So it could increase the secondary cancer risk, including skin cancer.

Keywords


[1] Kry, S. F., Johnson, J. L., White, R. A., Howell, R. M., Kudchadker, R. J., & Gillin, M. T., Neutron-induced electronic failures around a high-energy linear accelerator. Medical Physics. 38(1) (2011) 34–39. [2] Zecchin, M., Morea, G., Severgnini, M., Sergi, E., Roldan, A. B., Bianco, E., Salvatore, L., Malfunction of cardiac devices after radiotherapy without direct exposure to ionizing radiation: mechanisms and experimental data. Europace. 18(2) (2016) 288–293. [3] Najem, M., Abolaban, F., Podolyák, Z., & Spyrou, N. (2015)., Neutron production from flattening filter free high energy medical linac: A Monte Carlo study. Radiation Physics and Chemistry,. 116 (2015) 176–180. [4] Biltekin, F., M. Yeginer, and G. Ozyigit, Investigating in-field and out-of-field neutron contamination in high-energy medical linear accelerators based on the treatment factors of field size, depth, beam modifiers, and beam type. Physica Medica,. 31:(5) (2015) 517–523. [5] Protection, R., ICRP publication 103. Ann. ICRP,. 37(2.4) (2007) 2. [6] Expósito, M. R., Sánchez-Nieto, B., Terrón, J. A., Domingo, C., Gómez, F., & Sánchez-Doblado, F., Neutron contamination in radiotherapy: Estimation of second cancers based on measurements in 1377 patients. Radiotherapy and Oncology,. 10:(2)7 (2013) 234–241. [7] Cardenas, C. E., Nitsch, P. L., Kudchadker, R. J., Howell, R. M., & Kry, S. F., Out-of-field doses and neutron dose equivalents for electron beams from modern Varian and Elekta linear accelerators. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics,. 17(4) (2016). [8] Yücel, H., Çobanbaş, İ., Kolbaşı, A., Yüksel, A. Ö., & Kaya, V., Measurement of photo-neutron dose from an 18-MV medical linac using a foil activation method in view of radiation protection of patients. Nuclear Engineering and Technology,. 48(2) (2016) 525–532. [9] Bezak, E., R. Takam, and L.G. Marcu, Peripheral photon and neutron doses from prostate cancer external beam irradiation. Radiation protection dosimetry,. 167(4) (2015) 591–601. [10] Jahangiri, M., Hejazi, P., Hashemi, S. M., Haghparast, A., & Hajizadeh, B., The effect of field size and distance from the field center on neutron contamination in medical linear accelerator. International Journal of Advanced Biological and Biomedical Research,. 3(1) (2015) 97–104. [11] Horst, F., D. Czarnecki, and K. Zink, The influence of neutron contamination on dosimetry in external photon beam radiotherapy. Medical physics,. 42(11)) 2015) 6529–6536. [12] Sumini, M., Isolan, L., Cucchi, G., Sghedoni, R., & Iori, M., A Monte Carlo model for photoneutron generation by a medical LINAC. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, (2017). [13] Yani, S., Tursinah, R., Rhani, M., Soh, R., Haryanto, F., & Arif, I. Neutron contamination of Varian Clinac iX 10 MV photon beam using Monte Carlo simulation. in Journal of Physics: Conference Series. (2016). IOP Publishing. [14] Juste, B., Morató, S., Miró, R., Verdú, G., & Díez, S., MCNP6 unstructured mesh application to estimate the photoneutron distribution and induced activity inside a linac bunker. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, (2016). [15] Ezzati, A. and M. Studenski, Neutron dose in and out of 18MV photon fields. Applied Radiation and Isotopes,. 122 (2017) 186–192. [16] Brkić, H., Ivković, A., Kasabašić, M., Sovilj, M. P., Jurković, S., Štimac, D., The influence of field size and off-axis distance on photoneutron spectra of the 18 MV Siemens Oncor linear accelerator beam. Radiation Measurements,. 93 (2016) 28–34. [17] Kase, K., Liu, J., Elsalim, M., Nelson, W., Mao, X., & Kleck, J., Neutron fluence and energy spectra around the Varian clinac 2100-C/2300-C medical accelerator. Health Phys., 74(SLAC-PUB-7190) (1996) 38–47. [18] ICRP Publication 74: Conversion Coefficients for use in Radiological Protection against External Radiation. SAGE Publications (1997). [19] Najem, M., Spyrou, N., Podolyák, Z., & Abolaban, F., The physical characteristics of the 15MV Varian Clinac 2100C unflattened beam. Radiation Physics and Chemistry,. 20: 95.14 (2014) 205–209. [20] Martinez-Ovalle, S., Barquero, R., Gómez-Ros, J., & Lallena, A., Neutron dose equivalent and neutron spectra in tissue for clinical linacs operating at 15, 18 and 20 MV. Radiation protection dosimetry,. 147(4) (2011) 498–511.