Understanding Dose Distribution and Second Cancer Risk in Radiotherapy with 60Co Teletherapy Beam

Introduction Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment for cancer, aiming to target tumor cells while sparing healthy tissues. However, radiation exposure to surrounding organs poses a risk of secondary malignancies. A recent study explores dose distribution in the lung and stomach and assesses second cancer risk due to outfield doses from a 60Co teletherapy beam. Visit https://www.physicsresjournal.org/ijpra/about for more groundbreaking research in this field.

Key Findings of the Study

• The study used a male Alderson Rando Phantom and thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) to measure in-field and out-of-field radiation doses.
• Target organs (lungs and stomach) received precise radiation doses of 100 cGy and 200 cGy using a 60Co teletherapy unit.
• The depth dose correction factor for lung cancer treatment was determined as 0.8667 ± 0.01, while for the stomach, it was 0.7856 ± 0.017.
• Peripheral organs, such as the liver and colon, received significant outfield doses, increasing the risk of secondary malignancies.

Implications for Patient Safety Ensuring precise dose delivery is essential to reduce unintended radiation exposure. The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) emphasizes the need for meticulous treatment planning to minimize radiation to healthy organs and mitigate long-term risks.

Access the Full Study and Related Research

• Read the full study at https://doi.org/10.29328/journal.ijpra.1001063.
• Explore more related research on radiotherapy and radiation safety on Physics Research Journal.

Risk Estimation for Second Cancer Using the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model, the study estimated second cancer risks:

• Lung irradiation: Stomach received the highest peripheral dose (96.60 mSv), with a risk factor of 139.1 × 10^-3.
• Stomach irradiation: The liver absorbed the highest dose (96.35 mSv), with a risk factor of 138.7 × 10^-3.
• Shielding techniques are recommended to protect adjacent organs like the kidney and pancreas during radiotherapy.

Stay Informed on Radiation Safety Understanding radiation exposure risks is vital for advancing safe and effective cancer treatments. Explore more studies at https://www.physicsresjournal.org/ijpra/about.

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