Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies
Published on: February 6, 2019
The role of shielding in superficial X-ray therapy
N Medvedevas1, D Adliene, J Laurikaitiene
1Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania. nikolajus.medvedevas@stud.ktu.lt
Abstract:
Superficial X-ray therapy is applicable in the kilovoltage range for the treatment of the cancer. Pb shielding is used to protect radiation-sensitive organs since the doses are high, however the question about shielding efficiency is still open. The role of shielding was investigated in this work based on the results of dose measurements performed using a set of pencil dosemeters and thermoluminescent dosimetries. According to the measured angular dose distributions on the phantom surface during X-ray irradiation, the area near the applicator exposed to the waste irradiation was evaluated and Pb shielding of a corresponding size was chosen. It has been shown that the dose in the area of interest decreases non-linearly, however high shielding efficiency (~90 %) remains almost stable in the whole area. No significant contribution of secondary scattered photons from Pb has been observed. The role of Pb shielding in superficial X-ray therapy is discussed on the basis of the obtained results.
Related Concept Videos
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
X-ray Imaging
Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
Diamagnetic Shielding of Nuclei: Local Diamagnetic Current
Types of Radioactivity
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Radiological Investigation I: X-ray and CT

