Code of practice for clinical proton dosimetry

The objective of this document is to make recommendations for the determination of absorbed dose to tissue for clinical proton beams and to achieve uniformity in proton dosimetry. A Code of Practice (CoP) has been chosen, providing specific guidelines for the choice of the detector and the method of determination of absorbed dose for proton beams only. This CoP is confined specifically to the determination of absorbed dose and is not concerned with the biological effects of proton beams. It is recommended that dosimeters be calibrated by comparison with a calorimeter. If this is not available, a Faraday cup, or alter-natively, an ionization chamber, with a 60Co calibration factor should be used. Physical parameters for determining the dose from tissue-equivalent ionization chamber measurements are given together with a worksheet. It is recommended that calibrations be carried out in water at the centre of the spread-out-Bragg-peak and that dose distributions be measured in a water phantom. It is estimated that the error in the calibrations will be less than +-5 per cent (1 S.D.) in all cases. Adoption and implementation of this CoP will facilitate the exchange of clinical information. (author). 34 refs.; 5 figs.; 5 tabs