Monte Carlo dosimetric characterization of the IsoAid ADVANTAGE 103Pd brachytherapy source

For roughly 25 years, 125I and 103Pd sources have been used in the treatment of various malignant diseases such as prostate cancer. Various new sources have been marketed and produced to meet the demand for new sources to use in treatment. Recently, IsoAID LLC created the ADVANTAGE 103Pd source. Various dosimetric parameters must be determined to facilitate treatment planning using this source. Theoretical determination of dosimetric characteristics, dose rate constant, radial dose function, and anisotropy function for this new source followed the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 43U1 recommendations. Theoretical calculations were performed in liquid water using the PTRAN Monte Carlo code version 7.44. The radial dose function of the new source was calculated in liquid water at distances up to 10.0 cm, and the anisotropy function, at distances ranging from 0.5 cm to 7.0 cm. The anisotropy factors and anisotropy constant were derived from the anisotropy function. The results in water indicate that the dose rate constant is 0.709 +/- 0.014 cGy x h-1 x U-1 and that the anisotropy constant is 0.880 +/- 0.040. The dosimetric characteristics of this new source compare favorably with those of other commercially available 103Pd sources.