Development of an Applicator for Endometrial Cancer Treatment using a Miniature X-ray Tube

It is necessary to develop a patient-specific applicator that matches the size of the vagina for each patient. Meanwhile, compared to conventional radioisotopes used as a brachytherapy source, the miniature X-ray tubes are less expensive and have less stringent protection standards, potentially replacing radioactive isotopes. In this study, patient-specific applicator was developed for endometrial cancer patients with different vagina sizes using a 3D printer. We used miniature X-ray tube based on field emission to generate low-energy X-rays of less than 50 kV. We optimized the dwell positon using MCNP simulations and fabricated a longer applicator to allow the tube to move internally according to actual treatment requirements for both diameters of 30 mm and 40 mm before the experiment. Using the optimized dwell positon and dwell time, the prescription dose of 5 Gy was applied to the prescription depth of 5 mm.