Monte Carlo-based dose calculation for 32 P patch source for superficial brachytherapy applications

• Main Authors: Sridhar Sahoo, Selvam T Palani, S K Saxena, D A R Babu, A Dash
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Journal of Medical Physics
• Subjects: 32 P patch; brachytherapy; dosimetry; nafion; skin cancer
• Online Access: http://www.jmp.org.in/article.asp?issn=0971-6203;year=2015;volume=40;issue=1;spage=13;epage=17;aulast=Sahoo

Skin cancer treatment involving 32 P source is an easy, less expensive method of treatment limited to small and superficial lesions of approximately 1 mm deep. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has indigenously developed 32 P nafion-based patch source (1 cm Χ 1 cm) for treating skin cancer. For this source, the values of dose per unit activity at different depths including dose profiles in water are calculated using the EGSnrc-based Monte Carlo code system. For an initial activity of 1 Bq distributed in 1 cm 2 surface area of the source, the calculated central axis depth dose values are 3.62 Χ 10 -10 GyBq -1 and 8.41 Χ 10 -11 GyBq -1 at 0.0125 and 1 mm depths in water, respectively. Hence, the treatment time calculated for delivering therapeutic dose of 30 Gy at 1 mm depth along the central axis of the source involving 37 MBq activity is about 2.7 hrs.