Treatment verification and in vivo dosimetry for total body irradiation using thermoluminescent and semiconductor detectors

• Characterization of a semiconductor dosimetric system.
• Characterization of a thermoluminescent dosimetric system.
• Application of the TLDs for treatment verification in total body irradiation treatments.
• Application of semiconductor detectors for in vivo dosimetry in total body irradiation treatments.
• Implementation of in vivo dosimetry as a part of a quality assurance program in radiotherapy.

The objective of this work is the characterization of thermoluminescent and semiconductor detectors and their applications in treatment verification and in vivo dosimetry for total body irradiation (TBI) technique. Dose measurements of TBI treatment simulation performed with thermoluminescent detectors inserted in the holes of a “Rando anthropomorphic phantom” showed agreement with the prescribed dose. For regions of the upper and lower chest where thermoluminescent detectors received higher doses it was recommended the use of compensating dose in clinic. The results of in vivo entrance dose measurements for three patients are presented. The maximum percentual deviation between the measurements and the prescribed dose was 3.6%, which is consistent with the action level recommended by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU), i.e., ±5%. The present work to test the applicability of a thermoluminescent dosimetric system and of a semiconductor dosimetric system for performing treatment verification and in vivo dose measurements in TBI techniques demonstrated the value of these methods and the applicability as a part of a quality assurance program in TBI treatments.