Spatial variation of radiation quality during moving beam therapy with 14 MeV [d(0.25)+T] neutrons

In conformal moving beam therapy with fast neutrons, the contributions to dose from the direct beam, scattered radiation and the gamma component vary with the position in the phantom. To determine this variation in radiation quality, microdosimetric measurements of energy deposition spectra were performed at different position in a therapy phantom. Fixed beam irradiation at different incidence angles showed strong changes in the lineal energy spectrum. An increase of slow protons (20 < y < 110 keV.micron-1) and a decrease of fast protons (2 < y < 20 keV.micron-1) was seen for irradiation outside the direct beam. During moving beam irradiation, different positions on the same isodose curves (55% or 35%) showed differences in YD of up to 5%. Variations in the quality parameter, R, determined by applying an empirical biological weighting function, were of similar magnitude. Thus, spatial variations in radiation quality should be taken into account in biological dose planning for moving beam neutron therapy.