Radiation Oncology/Brachytherapy/General concepts

Manchester system
(also called Patterson-Parker)


 * Dose and dose rate:  6000 R - 8000 R in 6-8 days (1000 R/d, 40 R/h)
 * Dose specification criterion: Effective minimum dose is 10% above the minimum dose in treatment plane or volume
 * Dose gradient:  Dose in treatment volume or plane varies by no more than 10% from stated dose except for localized hot spots
 * Linear activity: 0.66 and 0.33 mgRaEq/cm

HDR Fractionation

 * Amsterdam; 2002 PMID 11849810 -- "The optimal fraction size in high-dose-rate brachytherapy: dependency on tissue repair kinetics and low-dose rate." (Sminia P, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2002 Mar 1;52(3):844-9.)
 * Evaluation of optimal fraction size in HDR brachytherapy; assume 20 Gy in either LDR or HDR, repair half-life 1-4 hours and 3x longer than tumor
 * Optimal fractionation: 3 x 6.7 Gy or 4 x 5 Gy

For HDR vs LDR BED calculator, see:
 * Radiation_Oncology/Cervix/Brachytherapy

Electronic brachytherapy

 * ASTRO; 2010 PMID 20206016 -- "American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) Emerging Technology Committee report on electronic brachytherapy." (Park CC, Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2010 Mar 15;76(4):963-72.)

GEC ESTRO Handbook

 * Handbook link