Development of a phantom 'Canis Morphic' using 3D printer for use in dosimetry in veterinary radiation therapy

The increase in human longevity caused a number of diseases with age; in contrast the advancement of medicine made possible the early diagnosis and treatment of several previously incurable diseases. This scenario is also important for domestic animals (dogs and cats - PETs) that have doubled their life expectancy in recent decades, a fact that humans took centuries to reach. Like humans, this increase in animal longevity was accompanied by age-related diseases, including cancer. One of the therapies currently used in the treatment of cancer is radiation therapy, a technique that uses ionizing radiation to destroy tumor cells (target volume) with minimal impairment to healthy surrounding tissues (organs at risk). This technique requires periodic quality control testing, including dosimetry with the use of tissue-equivalent phantoms, in order to verify the dose of radiation received by the patient being treated and to compare it subsequently with the calculated radiation dose by the treatment planning system. The rapid expansion of the 3D printer opened the way for a health revolution. planning for the spatial location and mapping of the isodose curves, thus realizing a more personalized planning for each radiation field, besides the preparation of dental implants, customization of prostheses and build of bolus. This work aimed has designed and developed a simulator object called 'Canis Morphic' using a 3D printer and tissue-equivalent materials to perform quality control and dose optimization tests in the area of Radiation therapy in animals (dogs). The results obtained demonstrated be promising in the area of development of phantoms by 3D printing, with materials of low cost, for application in quality control in Veterinary Radiation therapy. (author)