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Radiation Protection Dosimetry Sep 2022Radiation response differs depending on the dose and dose rate in intestinal stem cells; however, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. To understand the effects of...
Radiation response differs depending on the dose and dose rate in intestinal stem cells; however, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. To understand the effects of low-dose and low-dose-rate radiation, the authors established an organoid system that mimics the in vivo environment and sporadic low-dose-rate irradiation conditions in vitro. Organoid-forming potential and the number of stem cells in the organoids derived from 1 Gy-irradiated cells were lower than those from non-irradiated cells; however, the difference was not significant, although 1 Gy-irradiated stem cells exhibited significant growth disadvantage in the mixed-organoid with non-irradiated and irradiated stem cells. Furthermore, the authors irradiated a cell with X-ray microbeams and performed time-lapse observations and found that irradiated cells did not remain in the organoid. These results suggest that radiation-induced stem cell competition can occur in intestinal organoids and contribute to a low risk of cancers at low-dose-rate exposures.
Topics: Organoids; Stem Cells; X-Rays
PubMed: 36083761
DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncac068 -
Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express Nov 2021The dose rate distributions delivered to 55 prostate and head & neck (H&N) cancer patients treated with a helical TomoTherapy (HT) system were resolved and assessed with...
The dose rate distributions delivered to 55 prostate and head & neck (H&N) cancer patients treated with a helical TomoTherapy (HT) system were resolved and assessed with regard to pitch and field width defined during treatment planning. Statistical analysis of the studied cases showed that the median treatment delivery time was 4.4 min and 6.3 min for the prostate and H&N cases, respectively. Dose rate volume histogram data for the studied cases showed that the 25% and 12% of the volume of the planning target volumes of the prostate and H&N cases are irradiated with a dose rate of greater or equal to 1 Gy min. Quartile dose rate (QDR) data confirmed that in HT, where the target is irradiated in slices, most of the dose is delivered to each voxel of the target when it travels within the beam. Analysis of the planning data from all cases showed that this lasts for 68 s (median value). QDRs results showed that using the 2.5 cm field width, 75% of the prescribed dose is delivered to target voxels with a median dose rate of at least 3.2 Gy minand 4.5 Gy min, for the prostate and H&N cases, respectively. Systematically higher dose rates were observed for the H&N cases due to the shallower depths of the lesions in this anatomical site. Delivered dose rates were also found to increase with field width and pitch setting, due to the higher output of the system which, in general, results in accordingly decreased total treatment time. The biological effect of the dose rate findings of this work needs to be further investigated using in-vitro studies and clinical treatment data.
Topics: Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Male; Prostate; Radiotherapy Dosage; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated
PubMed: 34755680
DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/ac37cb -
Clinical Oncology (Royal College of... May 2022Following adoption of moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy as a standard for localised prostate cancer, ultrahypofractioned radiotherapy delivered in five to seven... (Review)
Review
Following adoption of moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy as a standard for localised prostate cancer, ultrahypofractioned radiotherapy delivered in five to seven fractions is rapidly being embraced by clinical practice and international guidelines. However, the question remains: how low can we go? Can radiotherapy for prostate cancer be delivered in fewer than five fractions? The current review summarises the evidence that radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer can be safely and effectively delivered in fewer than five fractions using high dose rate brachytherapy or stereotactic body radiotherapy. We also discuss important lessons learned from the single-fraction high dose rate brachytherapy experience.
Topics: Brachytherapy; Humans; Male; Prostatic Neoplasms; Radiation Dose Hypofractionation; Radiosurgery
PubMed: 34961659
DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2021.12.006 -
Biomedical Physics & Engineering Express Sep 2023The combination of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and linear accelerators (linacs) into MR-Linacs enables continuous MR imaging and advanced gated treatments of...
The combination of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and linear accelerators (linacs) into MR-Linacs enables continuous MR imaging and advanced gated treatments of patients. Previously, a dose-rate transient (∼8% reduced dose rate during the initial 0.5 s of each beam) was identified for a Viewray MRIdian MR-Linac (Klavsen2022106759). Here, the dose-rate transient is studied in more detail at four linacs of the same type at different hospitals. The implications of dose-rate transients were examined for gated treatments. The dose-rate transients were investigated using dose-per pulse measurements with organic plastic scintillators in three experiments: (i) A gated treatment with the scintillator placed in a moving target in a dynamic phantom, (ii) a gated treatment with the same dynamic conditions but with the scintillator placed in a stationary target, and (iii) measurements in a water-equivalent material to examine beam quality deviations at a dose-per-pulse basis. Gated treatments (i) compared with non-gated treatments with a static target in the same setup showed a broadening of accumulated dose profiles due to motion (dose smearing). The linac with the largest dose-rate transient had a reduced accumulated dose of up to (3.1 ± 0.65) % in the center of the PTV due to the combined dose smearing and dose-rate transient effect. Dose-rate transients were found to vary between different machines. Two MR-Linacs showed initial dose-rate transients that could not be identified from conventional linearity tests. The source of the transients includes an initial change in photon fluence rate and an initial change in x-ray beam quality. For gated treatments, this caused a reduction of more than 1% dose delivered at the central part of the beam for the studied, cyclic-motion treatment plan. Quality assurance of this effect should be considered when gated treatment with the Viewray MRIdian is implemented clinically.
Topics: Humans; Heart Rate; Motion; Phantoms, Imaging; Photons; Plastics
PubMed: 37591227
DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/acf138 -
Medical Physics Dec 2022The combined use of Bragg peak (BP) and shoot-through (ST) beams has previously been shown to increase the normal tissue volume receiving FLASH dose rates while...
PURPOSE
The combined use of Bragg peak (BP) and shoot-through (ST) beams has previously been shown to increase the normal tissue volume receiving FLASH dose rates while maintaining dose conformality compared to conventional intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) methods. However, the fixed beam optimization method has not considered the effects of beam orientation on the dose and dose rates. To maximize the proton FLASH effect, here, we incorporate dose rate objectives into our beam orientation optimization framework.
METHODS
From our previously developed group-sparsity dose objectives, we add upper and lower dose rate terms using a surrogate dose-averaged dose rate definition and solve using the fast-iterative shrinking threshold algorithm. We compare the dosimetry for three head-and-neck cases between four techniques: (1) spread-out BP IMPT (BP), (2) dose rate optimization using BP beams only (BP-DR), (3) dose rate optimization using ST beams only (ST-DR), and (4) dose rate optimization using combined BP and ST (BPST-DR), with the goal of sparing organs at risk without loss of tumor coverage and maintaining high dose rate within a 10 mm region of interest (ROI) surrounding the clinical target volume (CTV).
RESULTS
For BP, BP-DR, ST-DR, and BPST-DR, CTV homogeneity index and Dmax were found to be on average 0.886, 0.867, 0.687, and 0.936 and 107%, 109%, 135%, and 101% of prescription, respectively. Although ST-DR plans were not able to meet dosimetric standards, BPST-DR was able to match or improve either maximum or mean dose in the right submandibular gland, left and right parotids, constrictors, larynx, and spinal cord compared to BP plans. Volume of ROIs receiving greater than 40 Gy/s ( was 51.0%, 91.4%, 95.5%, and 92.1% on average.
CONCLUSIONS
The dose rate techniques, particularly BPST-DR, were able to significantly increase dose rate without compromising physical dose compared with BP. Our algorithm efficiently selects beams that are optimal for both dose and dose rate.
Topics: Humans; Proton Therapy; Radiotherapy Dosage; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; Neoplasms; Protons; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated; Organs at Risk
PubMed: 36222217
DOI: 10.1002/mp.16009 -
Journal of Radiological Protection :... Nov 2021In the event of an accidental release of radioactive elements from a nuclear power plant, it has been shown that the radionuclides contributing the most to long-term...
In the event of an accidental release of radioactive elements from a nuclear power plant, it has been shown that the radionuclides contributing the most to long-term exposure areCs andCs. In the case of nuclear power plant fallout, with subsequent intake of radionuclides through the food chain, the internal absorbed dose to target tissues from protracted intake of radionuclides needs to be estimated. Internal contamination from food consumption is not caused by a single intake event; hence, the committed equivalent dose, calculated by a dose coefficient or dose per content function, cannot be easily used to calculate the cumulative absorbed dose to relevant target tissues in the body. In this study, we calculated updated absorbed dose rate coefficients forCs andCs based on data from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) on specific absorbed fractions. The absorbed dose rate coefficients are provided for male and female adult reference phantoms, respectively, assuming a steady-state distribution of Cs that we calculated from the ICRP biokinetic model for Cs. With these coefficients, the absorbed dose to the listed target tissues, separately and to the total body, are related to the number of nuclear transitions (time-integrated activity) in each listed source region. Our new absorbed dose rate coefficients are given for the complete set of target tissues and have not been presented before. They are also provided for aggregated categories of organs to facilitate epidemiological studies.
Topics: Adult; Female; Human Body; Humans; Male; Nuclear Power Plants; Phantoms, Imaging; Radiation Dosage; Radiation Protection
PubMed: 34634780
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/ac2ec4 -
Physics in Medicine and Biology Jul 2023This work aims at investigating the response of various thermally stimulated luminescence detectors (TLDs) and optically stimulated luminescence detectors (OSLDs) for...
This work aims at investigating the response of various thermally stimulated luminescence detectors (TLDs) and optically stimulated luminescence detectors (OSLDs) for dosimetry of ultra-high dose rate electron beams. The study was driven by the challenges of dosimetry at ultra-high dose rates and the importance of dosimetry for FLASH radiotherapy and radiobiology experiments.Three types of TLDs (LiF:Mg,Ti; LiF:Mg,Cu,P; CaF:Tm) and one type of OSLD (AlO:C) were irradiated in a 15 MeV electron beam with instantaneous dose rates in the (1-324) kGy srange. Reference dosimetry was carried out with an integrating current transformer, which was calibrated in absorbed dose to water against a reference ionization chamber. Additionally, dose rate independent BeO OSLDs were employed as a reference. Beam non-uniformity was addressed using a matrix of TLDs/OSLDs.The investigated TLDs were shown to be dose rate independent within the experimental uncertainties, which take into account the uncertainty of the dosimetry protocol and the irradiation uncertainty. The relative deviation between the TLDs and the reference dose was lower than 4 % for all dose rates. A decreasing response with the dose rate was observed for AlO:C OSLDs, but still within 10 % from the reference dose.The precision of the investigated luminescence detectors make them suitable for dosimetry of ultra-high dose rate electron beams. Specifically, the dose rate independence of the TLDs can support the investigation of the beam uniformity as a function of the dose rate, which is one of the challenges of the employed beam. AlO:C OSLDs provided high precision measurements, but the decreasing response with the dose rate needs to be confirmed by additional experiments.
Topics: Electrons; Radiometry; Luminescence; Water
PubMed: 37336230
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/acdfb2 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2022The Radiological Research Accelerator Facility has modified a decommissioned Varian Clinac to deliver ultra-high dose rates: operating in 9 MeV electron mode (FLASH...
The Radiological Research Accelerator Facility has modified a decommissioned Varian Clinac to deliver ultra-high dose rates: operating in 9 MeV electron mode (FLASH mode), samples can be irradiated at a Source-Surface Distance (SSD) of 20 cm at average dose rates of up to 600 Gy/s (3.3 Gy per 0.13 µs pulse, 180 pulses per second). In this mode multiple pulses are required for most irradiations. By modulating pulse repetition rate and irradiating at SSD = 171 cm, dose rates below 1 Gy/min can be achieved, allowing comparison of FLASH and conventional irradiations with the same beam. Operating in 6 MV photon mode, with the conversion target removed (SuperFLASH mode), samples are irradiated at higher dose rates (0.2-150 Gy per 5 µs pulse, 360 pulses per second) and most irradiations can be performed with a single very high dose rate pulse. In both modes we have seen the expected inverse relation between dose rate and irradiated area, with the highest dose rates obtained for beams with a FWHM of about 2 cm and ± 10% uniformity over 1 cm diameter. As an example of operation of the ultra-high dose rate FLASH irradiator, we present dose rate dependence of dicentric chromosome yields.
Topics: Particle Accelerators; Photons; Electrons; Radiotherapy Dosage; Radiometry
PubMed: 36550150
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19211-7 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology Aug 2023The output constancy of the accelerator used for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is essential to ensuring anti-tumor efficacy and safety. BNCT as currently...
The output constancy of the accelerator used for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is essential to ensuring anti-tumor efficacy and safety. BNCT as currently practiced requires a wide variety of beam quality assessments to ensure that RBE dose errors are maintained within 5%. However, the necessity of maintaining a constant beam dose rate has not been fully discussed. We therefore clarified the effect of different physical dose rates of the accelerator BNCT on biological effects. SAS and A172 cells exposed to B-boronophenylalanine were irradiated using a neutron beam (normal operating current, 100 μA) at the Aomori Quantum Science Center. Thermal neutron flux was attenuated to 50.0 ± 0.96% under 50 μA irradiation compared to that under 100 μA irradiation. Cells were given physical doses of 1.67 and 3.36 Gy at 30 and 60 mC, respectively, and survival was significantly increased after 50 μA irradiation for both cell types ( = 0.0052 for SAS; = 0.046 for A172, for 60 mC). Differences in accelerator BNCT beam dose rates have non-negligible effects on biological effects. Dose rate fluctuations and differences should not be easily permitted to obtain consistent biological effects.
PubMed: 37754225
DOI: 10.3390/cimb45090441 -
Radiotherapy and Oncology : Journal of... Aug 2022Continuing recent experiments at the research electron accelerator ELBE at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf the influence of beam pulse structure on the Flash...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Continuing recent experiments at the research electron accelerator ELBE at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf the influence of beam pulse structure on the Flash effect was investigated.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The proton beam pulse structure of an isochronous cyclotron (UHDR) and a synchrocyclotron (UHDR) was mimicked at ELBE by quasi-continuous electron bunches at 13 MHz delivering mean dose rates of 287 Gy/s and 177 Gy/s and bunch dose rates of 10Gy/s and 10 Gy/s, respectively. For UHDR, 40 ms macro pulses at a frequency of 25 Hz superimposed the bunch delivery. For comparison, a maximum beam intensity (2.5 × 10 Gy/s mean and ∼10 Gy/s bunch dose rate) and a reference irradiation (of ∼8 Gy/min mean dose rate) were applied. Radiation induced changes were assessed in zebrafish embryos over four days post irradiation.
RESULTS
Relative to the reference a significant protecting Flash effect was observed for all electron beam pulse regimes with less severe damage the higher the mean dose rate of the electron beam. Accordingly, the macro pulsing induced prolongation of treatment time at UHDR regime reduces the protecting effect compared to the maximum regime delivered at same bunch but higher mean dose rate. The Flash effect of the UHDR regime was confirmed at a clinical isochronous cyclotron comparing the damage induced by proton beams delivered at 300 Gy/s and ∼9 Gy/min.
CONCLUSION
The recent findings indicate that the mean dose rate or treatment time are decisive for the normal tissue protecting Flash effect in zebrafish embryo.
Topics: Animals; Electrons; Protons; Radiotherapy Dosage; Zebrafish
PubMed: 35661675
DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2022.05.025