MAGIC polymer gel for dosimetric verification in boron neutron capture therapy

J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2007 Apr 30;8(2):114-23. doi: 10.1120/jacmp.v8i2.2409.

Abstract

Radiation sensitive polymer gels are among the most promising three-dimensional dose verification tools developed to date. Polymer gel dosimeter known by the acronym MAGIC has been tested for evaluation of its use in boron neutron capture (BNCT) dosimetry. We irradiated a large (diameter 10 cm, length 20 cm) cylindrical gel phantom in the epithermal neutron beam of the Finnish BNCT facility at the FiR 1 nuclear reactor. Neutron irradiation was simulated with a Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP. Gel samples from the same production batch were also irradiated with 6 MV photons from a medical linear accelerator to compare dose response in the two different types of beams. Irradiated gel phantoms were imaged using MRI to determine their relaxation rate R2 maps. The measured and normalized dose distribution in the epithermal neutron beam was compared to the dose distribution calculated by computer simulation. The results support the feasibility MAGIC gel in BNCT dosimetry.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Boron Neutron Capture Therapy / methods*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Materials Testing
  • Neutrons / therapeutic use*
  • Polyvinyls / chemistry*
  • Polyvinyls / radiation effects*
  • Radiometry / methods*
  • Radiotherapy Dosage

Substances

  • MAG (polymeric gel)
  • Polyvinyls