Solid state TL detectors for in vivo dosimetry in brachytherapy

In vivo dosimetry provides information about the actual dose delivered to the patient treated with radiotherapy and can be adopted within a routinary treatment quality assurance protocol. Aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of performing in vivo rectal dosimetry by placing thermoluminescence detectors directly on the transrectal ultrasound probe adopted for on-line treatment planning of high dose rate brachytherapy boosts of prostate cancer patients. A suitable protocol for TLD calibration has been set up. In vivo measurements resulted to be in good agreement with the calculated doses, showing that the proposed method is feasible and returns accurate results.

► In vivo dosimetry was performed by placing TLDs on the transrectal ultrasound probe.
► Measurements resulted to be in good agreement with calculated doses.
► The proposed method is reliable and can be adopted within a treatment QA protocol.