Total body irradiation for standard treatment rooms: a robust sweeping beam technique with respect to the body shape
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this work is to improve a sweeping beam technique for total body irradiation (TBI) on a low flat couch using a varying patient thickness model. We designed a flat couch for total body irradiation in supine and prone position. Three generic arcs with rectangular segments for a patient torso thickness of 16, 22 and 28 cm were generated with respect to varying patient thickness of four particular parts of the body: head, torso, thighs and calves.
Materials and methods: Longitudinal and transversal dose profiles were measured using an ionization chamber and the EBT3 gafchromic film in a solid water slab phantom. The robustness of the method was examined in phantoms of different thicknesses.
Results: Measured dose homogeneity stays within ±10% of prescribed dose for all of the three patient thickness models. The robustness of the method was evaluated as the increase in dose in the phantom center of 0.7% per 1 cm reduction in phantom thickness.
Conclusion: The method is applicable for the broad range of patient sizes, comfortable for patients, robust and suitable for standard treatment rooms with a standard linear accelerator. It requires minimal investments into equipment.
Keywords: total body irradiationTBIarc therapysweeping beam techniquepatient comfort
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