Date Approved
8-10-2021
Graduate Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Medical Dosimetry (M.S.)
Degree Program
Health Professions
First Advisor
Lauren Rydquist
Academic Year
2020/2021
Abstract
Purpose: The role of radiation therapy in managing prostate cancer has developed and improved greatly throughout the years. The purpose of this study was to analyze a newly developing method of treatment practices with two different therapy energies.
Methods: This retrospective study pulled patient data from the facility’s treatment planning system database who had primary prostate cancer treated to the prostate bed. Each patient was planned for the same treatment technique with two different beam energies, 6X and 6FFF (flattening filter free).
Results: A two-sample t-test was done to compare means of the max doses to the bladder, rectum, and femoral heads between the two energies, as well as the estimated time it would take for the treatment to be executed on the treatment machine. The means for the bladder, rectum, and max doses showed to have no difference between them but the time did show a significant difference.
Conclusions: There was not a dosimetric difference between treating with 6X and 6FFF energy, but a significant decrease in time, showing that it would be beneficial to treat with 6FFF. The decrease in time also decreases the chance of anatomical differences occurring between treatment set up and treatment completion.
ScholarWorks Citation
Puruleski, Alexis F., "A Dosimetric Study on Photon Beam Energies With and Without a Flattening Filter in SBRT Treatments for Prostate Cancer" (2021). Culminating Experience Projects. 56.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/56
