COURSE UNIT TITLE

: DOSIMETRY IN RADIOTHERAPY

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
MDF 5060 DOSIMETRY IN RADIOTHERAPY ELECTIVE 2 2 0 4

Offered By

Medical Physics

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR AYŞE NUR DEMIRAL

Offered to

Medical Physics

Course Objective

The aim is understanding of the main principal and characteristics of all dosimeters used in radiotherapy, learning how to use dosimeters in measuring and verifying dosimetric parameters required for planning and treatment and radiation safety, designing and performing quality control tests for simulation, treatment planning system and treatment devices

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Getting knowledge about the technical properties and working principles of dosimeters and phantoms used in dose calibration and radiation safety and acquiring the skills to use them;
2   Ability to select the appropriate dosimetric methods in accordance with the treatment techniques and to apply them;
3   Ability to design radiation protection of therapy rooms;
4   Ability to perform measurements of all the dosimetric parameters such as beam quality, dose efficiency, isodose curves and dose profiles and to verify these measurements with manual calculations;
5   Having an understanding of the importance of quality control processes, and ability to implement the quality control tests of simulation equipment, treatment planning systems and treatment devices;
6   Having an understanding of the importance of individualized quality control and verification of patient treatment, providing correct and proper delivery of treatment;
7   Ability to implement the necessary measures related to radiation safety;
8   Ability to perform research and development related to national and international quality control programs.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Dosimetric principles (the concept of dose and kerma, Bragg-Gray cavity theory, dosimetric quantities and units: exposure, kerma and absorbed dose)
2 Dosimeters and electrometers used in the dose calibration(ion chambers, diodes, film dosimeters, diamond dosimeters, semiconductors, TLD, gel dosimeters, electronic portal imaging devices (EPID), 2D array .. electrometers: PTW Farmer, dose 1 ...)
3 Phantoms used for the dose calibration (solid and water phantoms, antropomorphic phantom, three-dimensional delta 4 and two-dimensional matrix phantoms)
4 Portable radiation measurement and control devices (gas sensors, semiconductor detectors, scintillation detectors.) and Personnel Monitoring devices used in the detection (film, TLD, pens and wrist dosimeters)
5 Diagnosis and treatment rooms protection calculations (primary radiation, scatter and leakage radiation, IAEA Safety Reports Series No: 47)
6 Mid-term exam
7 Mesasuring beam quality of low-and high-energy X-rays, gamma rays, electrons (half value thickness (HVT), tissue phantom ratio (TPR20/TPR10), determination of D20/D10)
8 Measurement and calculation of percentage depth dose (PDD), the dose profiles isodose curves, TAR, TPR, TMR parameters. IAEA, AAPM, ESTRO.. protocols
9 Measurement and calculation of dose efficiency factors (out-put) (Sc, Sp, Scp), IAEA, AAPM, ESTRO ... protocols
10 Measurement and calculation of dose efficiency (output) of X-rays, electrons and gamma rays according to IAEA 277 dose protocol
11 Measurement and calculation of dose efficiency (output) of X-rays, electrons and gamma rays according to IAEA 398 dose protocol
12 Electrical, mechanical and dosimetric quality control tests of Conventional and CT simulators (IAEA, AAPM, ESTRO ... protocols)
13 Electrical, mechanical and dosimetric quality control tests of treatment devices (Co-60 and linear accelerator) (IAEA, AAPM, ESTRO ... protocols)
14 Quality control tests of treatment planning systems (IAEA, Task Group Report 53, AAPM, ESTRO ... protocols

Recomended or Required Reading

Khan FM. The physics of radiation therapy , Second, Third and Fourth Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1994, 2003, 2009.
Edward C. Halperin, Carlos A. Perez, Luther W. Brady Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology Third, Fourth and Fifth Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 1997, 2003, 2008.
BJR Supplement 25: Central Axis Depth Dose Data for Use in Radiotherapy 1996.
Radiotherapy Facilities IAEA, 2006.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): Absorbed Dose Determination in Photon and Elektron Beams , Technical Reports Series No: 277, 381, 398.
Günter Zschornack Handbook of X-Ray Data Springer, 2007.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Using all available technical and dosimetric equipment to make the relevant applications in radiotherapy after having theoretical knowledge about the subject from Turkish and foreign books, periodicals , and protocols.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 FIN FINAL EXAM
3 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.40 + FIN* 0.60
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.40 + RST* 0.60


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

To be announced.

Language of Instruction

Course Policies and Rules

To be announced.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

To be announced.

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 2 28
Tutorials 14 2 28
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 14 1 14
Preparation for midterm exam 1 12 12
Preparation for final exam 1 18 18
Final 1 1 1
Midterm 1 1 1
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 102

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14
LO.1455554
LO.24554
LO.3454555
LO.4545454
LO.54555544
LO.65545444
LO.745544
LO.85554