Measurement of scattered dose through thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD) in the contralateral breast for tangential beam breast irradiation for patients in Metro Manila

• Main Authors: Moreno, Dickerson C., Lopez, F. A., Santacera, Raquel Irene
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2005
• Subjects: Breast—Cancer—Radiotherapy; Radiation dosimetry; Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/8152
• Institution: De La Salle University

Tangential beam breast irradiation treats target tissues while avoiding the lungs and the con­tralatcral breast. Scatter radiation to the contralateral breast can cause secondary malignancy if the glandular tissue absorbs more than the dose limit for breast. This study is the first in the Philippines to measure the scatter dose received by an intact, contralateral breast during tangential beam radiotherapy for breast cancer. Seven patients with intact breasts undergoing tangential beam radiotherapy were asked to participate. Four thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs), placed under 1.5 cm bolus, were used for each patient. TLDs were read at the National Cancer Center in South Korea. The effective dose on each patient was compared to the breast dose limit. The results show that there is no reason to believe that the scatter dose received by the patients is enough to start a secondary malignancy.