Fetus absorbed dose evaluation in head and neck radiotherapy procedures of pregnant patients

•Head and neck radiotherapy simulation.•Head and neck radiotherapy procedures for pregnant patients.•Shielded and unshielded fetus absorbed dose evaluation.

In this work the head and neck cancer treatment of a pregnant patient was experimentally simulated. A female anthropomorphic Alderson phantom was used and the absorbed dose to the fetus was evaluated protecting the patient's abdomen with a 7 cm lead layer and using no abdomen shielding. The target volume dose was 50 Gy. The fetus doses evaluated with and without the lead shielding were, respectively, 0.52±0.039 and 0.88±0.052 cGy.