An Analysis of Photon Beam Characteristics of a LINAC in Water Phantom
Chowdhury M. R. I. , Rahman M. M. , Rabby M. F.
1*
1
Chowdhury M. R. I. , Rahman M. M. , Rabby M. F.
* Corresponding Author:
Chowdhury M. R. I. , Rahman M. M. , Rabby M. F.
Abstract
The use of linear accelerators with megavoltage photon beams in radiation therapy
provides more accurate dosage delivery. It is usually used to destroy cancer cells. It is
important to analyze the every aspects of the delivered beam thoroughly, including the
PDD, beam profile, output factor, etc before using linear accelerators for clinical
purposes. The purpose of this work is to enhance the quality of radiation treatment
planning by analyzing the photon beam PDD and profiles (penumbra width, symmetry,
and beam flatness) for different beam energies. A Varian LINAC (SN: 5199) was used
for these measurements at the TMSS Cancer Center in Bogura, Bangladesh, with photon
energies of 6 MV, 10 MV, and 15 MV. The depth dose, penumbra, symmetry, and flatness
of photon beams do not exhibit a linear relationship since beam quality mostly depends
on how photons interact with matter. Due to scattering by matter, photon attenuation
and penetration characteristics vary with dosimetric parameters such as field size,
source to surface distance, etc. When a wide range of beam energies are available, a
comprehensive analysis of photon properties assists in choosing the relevant beam for
radiation treatment.