A novel phantom model for mouse tumor dose assessment under MV beams

In order to determine a mouse's dose accurately and prior to engaging in live mouse radiobiological research, a tissue-equivalent tumor-bearing phantom mouse was constructed and bored to accommodate detectors. Comparisons were made among four different types of radiation detectors, each inserted into the mouse phantom for radiation measurement under a 6 MV linear accelerator beam. Dose detection response from a diode, thermoluminescent dosimeters, and metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors were used and compared to that of a reference pinpoint ionization chamber. A computerized treatment planning system was also directly compared to the chamber. Each detector system demonstrated results similar to the dose computed by the treatment planning system, although some differences were noted. The average disagreement from an accelerator calibrated output dose prescription in the range of 200-400 cGy was -0.4% ± 0.5 σ for the diode, -2.4% ± 2.6 σ for the TLD, -2.9% ± 5.0 σ for the MOSFET, and +1.3% ± 1.4 σ for the treatment planning system. This phantom mouse design is unique, simple, reproducible, and therefore recommended as a standard approach to dosimetry for radiobiological mouse studies by means of any of the detectors used in this study. The authors fully advocate for treatment planning modeling when possible prior to linac-based dose delivery.