Electron Beams:

Physical Principles and Dosimetry

Kent A. Gifford, Ph.D. Department of Radiation Physics UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
kagifford@mdanderson.org
Medical Physics III: Spring 2010

Physical aspects

Electron Interactions
Inelastic collisions 1. atomic electrons (ionization & excitation) 2. nuclei (bremsstrahlung) Elastic collisions 1. w/ atomic electrons 2. w/ nuclei

Electron Interactions
Collisional (ionization and excitation)
Energy loss w electron density (Z/A) Radiation losses (bremsstrahlung) 2 Energy loss w Energy & Z

Electron Interactions
Mass Stopping Power (S/V):
Rate of energy loss (units: Mev-cm2/g)

d ! dl

Collision losses (ionization and excitation) & radiation losses (bremsstrahlung):

(S

)t ! ( S )c  ( S )r

Electron Interactions
Restricted Mass Stopping Power (L/V (:

L ! dE dl

E (

AKA LET (linear energy transfer) or energy loss per unit path length (for local absorption not radiated away)

Electron interactions
Absorbed dose Fluence Dose

*
E0

d* ( E ) ! E dE
L (E) dE

D!

J (E)

Electron beam characteristics

Rapid rise to 100% Region of uniform dose (proximal 90% to distal 90%) Rapid dose fall-off High surface dose Clinically useful range 5-6 cm depth

Electron Energy Specification

(the average energy of the spectrum)

(most probable energy @ surface)

(average energy at depth z)

Electron Energy Specification

Energy specification:
R50 - depth of the 50% dose Rp - maximum range of electrons

From: Khan

Electron Energy Specification

E n o m in a l (M e V ) 6 9 12 16 20 (E p)0 (M e V ) 6 .4 9 9 .3 4 1 2 .2 5 1 5 .5 4 2 0 .5 4 E o (M e V ) 5 .9 4 8 .7 8 1 1 .6 4 1 4 .7 6 1 9 .1 9
MDACC 21EX

Average Energy (E0):

0

! ( 2.33 ) R50
2 E p ,0 ! 0.22  1.98 v Rp  0.0025 v Rp

Most Probable Energy (Ep0): Energy (Ez) at depth z

E z ! E 0 ( 1- z

Rp

AAPM TG-25 Med Phys 18(1), 73-109 (1991)

Determination of Absorbed Dose

Calibration in water with ion chambers
ADCL-calibrated system
Cylindrical-chamber reference point located upstream of the chamber center by 0.5 rcav

Reference conditions 100 cm SSD for a 10v10 cm2 field d ref ! 0.6 R50  0.1 Formalism:

D ! M k Q N D ,w

Q w

60 Co

Depth-Dose Distribution
% DW !

M is ionization
L air
W

is the ratio of water-to-air mean restricted stopping powers  * is the ratio of water-to-air fluence
W air

Prepl is a chamber replacement correction

Dose is calculated from ionization {M v L measurements:

v  v Prepl } air air v 100 {numerator max}

W W

Clinical aspects and dosimetry

Surface Dose

Characteristics of clinical electron beams

Depth of 90% Dose

Depth of 80% Dose

Depth of 50 % dose

X-Ray Contamination

Characteristics of Clinical Electron Beams

Surface Dose:
Surface dose increases with increasing electron energy

From: Khan

Characteristics of Clinical Electron Beams

Depth of the 80% Dose: Equal to approximately Enom/2.8 :
E
n o m in a l

E n o m / 2 .8 2 .1 4 3 .2 1 4 .2 8 5 .7 1 7 .1 4

A c tu a l 2 .2 0 3 .3 0 4 .3 0 5 .5 0 7 .0 0 MDACC 21EX t . . . . . al

6 9 12 16 20

Depth of 90% is approximately Enom/3.2

E
n o m in a l

nom

. . . . .

Characteristics of clinical electron beams

Practical Range:
Equal to approximately 1/2 nominal energy: E
n o m in a l

nom

/ 2

6 9 12 16 20

3 .0 4 .5 6 .0 8 .0 1 0 .0

3 .1 5 4 .5 8 6 .0 4 7 .6 6 1 0 .1 3

Energy loss is about 2 MeV / cm

MDACC 21EX

Characteristics of clinical electron beams

X-Ray Contamination:
Increases with energy: Varies with accelerator design Defined as RP+2 cm

Enom
6 9 12 16 20

X-ray %
0.7% 1.2% 1.9% 3.7% 5.9%

MDACC 21EX

Characteristics of clinical electron beams

Accelerator design variations
Penumbra X-ray Contamination

From: Tapley

Characteristics of clinical electron beams

Penumbral Effects:
Low energies show expansion of isodose values

High energies show constriction of high isodose values with bowing of low values.

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Isodoses (6 MeV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Isodoses (20 MeV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

PDD- effect of field size (6 MeV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

PDD- effect of field size (20 MeV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment- electrons (6 & 20 MeV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment- electrons (6 & 12 MeV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment- electrons

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment- photon & electron (6 MeV & 6 MV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment- photon & electron (6 MeV & 18 MV)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Beam abutment- photon & electron (IMC & tangents)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Obliquity Effects
Oblique incidence results in pdd shifts

From: Khan

Electron Beam Dosimetry Obliquity effects

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Field Shaping:
Lead and/or Cerrobend is normally used Thickness should be sufficient to stop electrons: t = mm Pb E0 = Nom E (MeV)

t!
(Thick

E0

1
t c

Lead / Cerrobend
ss i

ecommended Shielding Thicknesses

l t ly bs rb l ctr s ly)

Energy Lead Cerrobend

6 M eV .0 .6

9 M eV 4.4 5.

12 M eV 6.1 7.

16 M eV 7.9 9.5

20 M eV 10.1 12.1

(Reference: AAPM TG 25, Med Phys 18, 73, 1991.)

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Contour Irregularities:
Sharp contour irregularities result in hot and cold spots

Bolus:
Place as close to skin as possible Use tissue-equivalent material Bevel bolus to smooth sharp edges

From: Khan

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Effects of inhomogeneities:
CET - coefficient of equivalent thickness The CET of a material is approximately equal to its electron density relative to water
eff

- z (1 - CET)
CET 0.25 1.65
From: Khan

Tissue Lung Bone

Electron Beam Dosimetry

CET:
Sample calculation
d
ff

! d - z ( - CET)
For Lu g:

1 cm

3 cm

Tissue un Bone

ET 0.25 1.65

ff

! 3 - ( - 0.25) ! 2.25 cm
For Bone:

ff

! 3 - ( - .65) ! 3.65 cm

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Internal Shielding:
Used to protect tissues beyond treatment volume Backscattered electrons produce dose enhancement
From: Khan (Note E in MeV)

A dose enhancement of about 50% could be expected in a 6-MeV electron beam

Electron Beam Dosimetry

Internal Shielding:
Reduce the intensity of backscatter by introducing a tissueequivalent absorber upstream from the shield Electron energy at the scatterer

From: Khan

Electron Beam Monitor-Unit Calculations

Electron-beam monitor units (MU) are normally calculated to a point at dmax along the central axis A dose DRx that is prescribed to a point other than dmax, can be related to the dmax dose Ddmax through the precription isodose level %D:

Ddmax ! DRx

%D

Electron Beam Monitor-Unit Calculations

The MU setting (MU) that is necessary to deliver a dose Ddmax is a function of the electron beams output (in cGy per MU) at the calculation point:

MU ! Ddmax

OFS, SSD

Here OFS,SSD is the dose output as a function of field size (FS) and distance (SSD)

Electron Beam Monitor-Unit Calculations

For an electron beam calibrated such that 1 MU = 1 cGy at 100 cm SSD for a 10v10 field at dmax:
Electron-beam out ut for a field size FS at a distance SSD

OFS, SSD ! (O10,100 ) v (OF FS) v (F SSD)

Calibrated out ut for a 10X10 cm field at 100 cm SSD Out ut factor for field size FS relative to field size 10X10 Distance-correction factor for distance SSD relative to 100 cm SSD

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Field-Size Corrections OFFS:
Field-size corrections generally account for the aperture produced by two devices:
Cones or Applicators, and Customized Inserts

The field-size dependent output factor OFFS can then be thought to consist of cone and insert output factors, OFCS and OFIS:

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Field-Size Corrections - OFCS, IS :
When used separately, cone factors, OFCS, are normalized to the 10v10 (or 15v15) cone, and insert factors, OFIS, are normalized to the open cone into which inserts are placed Alternatively, they can be combined into a single factor, OFCS, IS , that is normalized to the open 10v10 (or to the 15v15) cone :

OFFS ! OFCS v OFIS ! OFCS , IS

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Field-Size Corrections - OFLvW :
For rectangular fields, the field-size dependent output factor, OFFS, is determined from square-field output factors using the square root method. Thus, for a rectangular field LvW:

OFLxW ! OFLxL v OFWxW

For example, the 4v12 output factor OF4v12 is the square-root of the product of the 4v4 output factor, OF4v4, and the 12v12 output factor, OF12v12

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Distance (SSD) Corrections FSSD:
The variation of electron-beam output with distance does not follow a simple conventional inverse-square relationship
Due to attenuation and scattering in air and in beam collimation and shaping devices

Distance corrections take two forms:

Use of an effective SSD that can be used in an inverse-square fashion Use of an air-gap factor that can be used in addition to a conventional inverse-square factor

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Distance Corrections - SSDeff:
Assuming that an inverse-square relationship exists in which a reduced distance to a virtual source of electrons exists, then the distance correction, FSSD is:

FSSD ! ISFSSDEFF

SSDeff  dm ! SSDeff  dm  g

where SSDeff is the effective (or virtual) SSD and g is the distance (gap) between the nominal SSD (100 cm) and the actual SSD; dm is the dmax depth

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Distance Corrections - SSDeff :
The effective SSD is a virtual distance that is utilized so that an inverse-square approximation can be used
Effective SSDs vary with energy and field size as well as with electron collimation design

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Distance Corrections - fair :
An alternative method of applying distance corrections utilizes a conventional inverse-square correction and an air gap factor, fair , that accounts for the further reduction in output that is unaccounted-for by the inverse-square correction alone:

SSDnom  dm FSSD ! ISFSSDnom  g ! SSDnom  dm  g v fair

SSDnom is the nominal (100 cm) SSD

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Distance Corrections - fair: fair also varies with energy and field size (it is derived
from the same data set that can be used to also determine SSDeff) For rectangular fields, as with any electron field-size correction, the square-root method is used:

fairLxW !

fairLxL v fairWxW

Monitor-Unit Calculations
Use of Bolus:
When bolus is used, the depth-dose curve shifts upstream by a distance equal to the bolus thickness (e.g. if 1 cm bolus is used, the depth of dmax shifts by a distance of 1 cm toward the skin surface) The output at this shorter distance is:

OSSD , b ! OSSD v SSD  dm

SSD  dm  b

where b is the bolus thickness in cm, and SSD is the nominal SSD

Electron Monitor-Unit Calculations - Sample Problems

Electron Monitor-Unit Calculations - Sample Problems

3. Roughly, what is the energy of a 12 MeV electron beam at a depth of 5 cm?

E lost ! 2 Mev/ cm v dcm ! 2 v 5 ! 10 Me

E left ! E initial  E lost ! 12 10 ! 2 MeV

Electron Monitor-Unit Calculations - Sample Problems

4. What is the monitor-unit setting necessary to deliver a dose of 200 cGy per fraction to dmax using 9 MeV electrons, 10x10 field, at 100 cm SSD?
DRx IDL% 100 MU ! O10,100 v OFFS v OFSSD

MU ! 200

! 200 (1.0)v (1.0)v 1.0

Electron Monitor-Unit Calculations - Sample Problems

5. What is the monitor-unit setting necessary to deliver a dose of 200 cGy per fraction to dmax using 9 MeV electrons, 6x10 field in a 10x10 cone, at 100 cm SSD?

OFLxW ! OF xL v OFWxW OF 6 x10 ! OF 6 x 6 v OF10 x10 ! 1.003v1.0 ! 1.002

! 199.6 p 200 MU ! 200 (1.0)v (1.002)v 1.0

Electron MU Sample Problems

6. What is the monitor-unit setting necessary to deliver a dose of 200 cGy per fraction to the 90% isodose using 9 MeV electrons, 6x10 field in a 15x15 cone, at 105 cm SSD?
SSDnom  dm FSSD ! ISFSSDnom  g ! SSDnom  dm  g v fair
FSSD
100  2.3 ! v 0.978 v 0.984 ! 0.909 v 0.981 ! 0.892 100  2.3  5
Cone OF61510 ! OF 6 x 6 v OF 10 x10 ! x
2

0 .997 v 1 .003 ! 1 .0

200 90 100 222 .2 ! MU ! ! 249 .1 p 249 1  .0 v 1 .0 v 0 .892 0 .892