Patient dosimetry over different parts of the body during external radiotherapy treatment

Full text: Aim: To study dosimetry of patients during the external radiotherapy of cancer patients using thermoluminescence dosimeter (TLD). Materials and Methods: The dose received by 14 (fourteen) patients during radiotherapy treatment of Neck (Larynx), Chest (Lung) and Pelvis (Cervix) have been carried out at 8 (eight) anatomical points, namely, target (entrance and exit side), forehead, chest, abdomen, gonad, arm and leg respectively by thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeter. Results: The maximum percentage of absorbed dose received at the parts of the body other than the target were found to vary with a maximum value of ∼ 11.7 ± 0.6% at the neck, ∼ 5.3 ± 1.2% at the abdomen and ∼ 3.1 ± 0.4% at the chest during the external radiation treatment procedure of lung, cervix and neck respectively. Conclusion: The maximum dose received from a stray radiation is about 5.3 ± 0.3 Sv at the neck of lung cancer patient followed by abdomen with a dose of about 2.4 ± 0.6 Sv from the treatment of cancer of cervix when exposed to a cumulative dose of 45 Sv at the target. Chest gets maximum value of 2.0 ± 0.3 Sv for the treatment of the larynx from a total dose of 65 Sv at the target than the rest of the other sites (0.4 ± 0.2 Sv)