Multiple-estimate Monte Carlo calculation of the dose rate constant for a cesium-131 interstitial brachytherapy seed

The purpose of this study was to calculate a more accurate dose rate constant for the 131Cs (model CS-1, IsoRay Medical, Inc., Richland, WA) interstitial brachytherapy seed. Previous measurements of the dose rate constant for this seed have been reported by others with incongruity. Recent direct measurements by thermoluminescence dosimetry and by gamma-ray spectroscopy were about 15% greater than earlier thermoluminescence dosimetry measurements. Therefore, we set about to calculate independent values by a Monte Carlo approach that combined three estimates as a consistency check, and to quantify the computational uncertainty. The calculated dose rate constant for the 131Cs seed was 1.040 cGy h-1 U-1 for an ionization chamber model and 1.032 cGy h-1 U-1 for a circular ring model. A formal value of 2.2% uncertainty was calculated for both values. The range of our multiestimate values were from 1.032 to 1.061 cGy h-1 U-1. We also modeled three 125I seeds with known dose rate constants to test the accuracy of this study's approach