Computation of dose distribution for linear radioactive sources in brachytherapy

This paper describes a microcomputer program, written in Quick BASIC (Version 4.5), that allows the planning of radio-therapeutic doses in brachytherapy. The program allows the calculation of treatment times of prescribed doses, dose rates in selected points, as well as the computation of 2D and 3D isodose contours, of any linear source distribution. Also the volume enclosed by a chosen dose rate can be calculated. The results agree better than 1% with the results reported in the literature for discrete dose rate values, and for isodose contours.