Neutron and photon doses in high energy radiotherapy facilities and evaluation of shielding performance by Monte Carlo method

Medical accelerators operating above 10 MV are a source of undesirable neutron radiations which contaminate the therapeutic photon beam. These photoneutrons can also generate secondary gamma rays which increases undesirable dose to the patient body and to personnel and general public. In this study, the Monte Carlo N-Particle MCNP5 code has been used to model the radiotherapy room of a medical linear accelerator operating at 18 MV and to calculate the neutron and the secondary gamma ray energy spectra and the dose equivalents at various points inside the treatment room and along the maze. To validate our Monte Carlo simulation we compared our results with those evaluated by the recommended analytical methods of IAEA Report No. 47, and with experimental and simulated values published in the literature. After validation, the Monte Carlo simulation has been used to evaluate the shielding performance of the radiotherapy room. The obtained results showed that the use of paraffin wax containing boron carbide, in the lining of the radiotherapy room walls, presents enough effectiveness to reduce both neutron and gamma ray doses inside the treatment room and at the maze entrance. Such evaluation cannot be performed by the analytical methods since room material and wall surface lining are not taken into consideration.

► The MCNP5 code has been used to model a radiotherapy room of a 18 MV linear accelerator.
► The neutron and the secondary gamma ray dose equivalents were evaluated at various points inside the treatment room and along the the maze.
► To reduce the neutron and gamma ray doses, we have also investigated the radiotherapy room shielding performance.
► The use of paraffin wax containing boron carbide indicates much better shielding effects.