DOSIMETRY OF AN ANIMAL IRRADIATION SYSTEM

摘要

Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation for cancer treatment, but its effectiveness may be limited by the consequent appearance of radiodermatitis. This problem may present several degrees: the highest among them is radionecrosis. Therefore, a model of study for the animal irradiation system (AIS) was built, generating radionecrosis on rat backs. The AIS is comprised by: a) a shield between the ~(60)Co irradiator metallic guide and the animal immobilizer (AI), with holes exposing the rat skin; b) a shield on the AI posterior part and (c) the AIS angle. The doses were measured with alanine pellets in seven positions (two external and five internal) and different heights, in axial planes along the AI, and irradiated with 85 Gy. The similarity in the geometry of the AIs made it possible to relate the doses of positions 1-7 with the same height among the AISs. The AISs equidistance to the source allowed simultaneous animal exposure. Minimizing the shielding and maximizing the angles among the AISs provided average doses almost identical in position 1. A small variation among the mean doses for each of the AISs enabled to replace them by the average doses of the three AISs at position 1. Shields allowed the attenuation of the uncertainties in the alanine pellet in the AI, reduction of the exposure time without compromising rat security and the rise of the dose in measurement positions 1 and 2. The maximization of the angles among the AISs reduced the shielding secondary radiation contribution.