NOVEL ‘PHOTONEUTRON VOLUME DOSE EQUIVALENT’ HYPOTHESIS AND METHODOLOGY FOR SECOND PRIMARY CANCER RISK ESTIMATION IN HIGH-ENERGY X-RAY MEDICAL ACCELERATORS

Abstract

Abstract A novel ‘photoneutron (PN) volume dose equivalent’ methodology was hypothesized and applied for the first time for estimating PN second primary cancer (PN-SPC) risks in high-energy X-ray medical accelerators. Novel position-sensitive mega-size polycarbonate dosimeters with 10B converter (with or without cadmium covers) were applied for determining fast, epithermal and thermal PN dose equivalents at positions on phantom surface and depths. The methodology was applied to sites of tumors such as brain, stomach and prostate in 47 patients. The PN-SPC risks were estimated for specific organs/tissues using linear International Commission on Radiological Protection cancer risks and were compared with some available data. The corresponding PN-SPC risk estimates ranged from 1.450 × 10−3 to 1.901 cases per 10 000 persons per Gray. The method was applied to 47 patients for estimating PN-SPC risks in patients undergoing radiotherapy. The PN-SPC risk estimates well match those calculated by simulation but are comparatively different from those estimated by ‘PN point dose equivalent’ methods, as expected.