Radiochromic film dosimetry for protons up to 10 MeV with EBT2, EBT3 and unlaminated EBT3 films

Passive dosimetry with radiochromic films is widely used in proton radiotherapy, both in clinical and scientific environments, thanks to its simplicity, high spatial resolution and dose-rate independence. However, film under-response for low-energy protons, the so-called linear-energy transfer (LET) quenching, must be accounted and corrected for. We perform a meta-analysis on existing film under-response data with EBT, EBT2 and EBT3 GAFchromic™ films and provide a common framework to integrate it, based on the calculation of dose-averaged LET in the active layer of the films. We also report on direct measurements with the 10 MeV proton beam at the Center for Microanalysis of Materials (CMAM) for EBT2, EBT3 and unlaminated EBT3 films, focusing on the 20–80 keV μm⁻¹ LET range, where previous data was scarce. Measured film relative efficiency (RE) values are in agreement with previously reported data from the literature. A model on film RE constructed with combined literature and own experimental values in the 5–80 keV μm⁻¹ LET range is presented, supporting the hypothesis of a linear decrease of RE with LET, with no remarkable differences between the three types of films analyzed. (paper)