Absorbing materials with applications in radiotherapy and radioprotection

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Materials Science
• Radiation Oncology

Background:

• Linear accelerators with multi-leaf collimators (MLCs) are standard in cancer radiotherapy.
• High-energy electrons are used for superficial cancers but are incompatible with MLCs.
• Protecting adjacent healthy tissues from electron beams requires effective shielding materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the dose transmission through novel composite materials under electron beam irradiation.
• To evaluate the potential of silicon rubber and aluminum particle composites as radiation shields.
• To determine the influence of material composition, thickness, and electron beam energy on dose transmission.

Main Methods:

• Developed composite materials with varying silicon rubber, aluminum particle content, and thickness.
• Irradiated samples with electron beams ranging from 6 to 15 MeV at a 100 cm source-surface distance.
• Measured transmitted radiation dose using an acrylic phantom.

Main Results:

• Transmitted dose varied significantly (1.8% to 90%) based on electron beam energy, sample thickness, and aluminum content.
• Composite materials demonstrated adjustable absorption properties.
• Specific compositions showed promising attenuation characteristics for electron beams.

Conclusions:

• Analyzed composite materials show potential as effective absorbers and shields in radiotherapy.
• These materials could offer solutions for protecting organs at risk during electron beam therapy.
• Further research is warranted to optimize materials for clinical radioprotection applications.