An empirical table of equivalent squares of rectangular fields for the Theratron 780

Tables of equivalent squares are used to calculate percentage depth-dose values for non-square fields in cobalt teletherapy. The table in The British Journal of Radiology (Supplements 10, 11) has been in use for a number of years, and the design of cobalt irradiators has developed during this period. Sources are now of much higher activity, collimators and trimmers have been redesigned and larger field sizes (up to 35 x 35 cm at 80 cm SSD) are obtainable. Measurements were therefore made in a water phantom to provide data to re-test the validity of the table, and to add the larger field sizes. Results given in the new table of equivalent squares of rectangular fields for cobalt 60 radiotherapy are compared with values from Supplement 11. There were no clinically significant differences in the central axis depth-dose values at 5 cm depth for two equivalent squares, although the measured values appeared to be consistently larger. (U.K.)