Dosimetric effects of saline- versus water-filled balloon applicators for IORT using the model S700 electronic brachytherapy source

The Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System (Xoft, Inc., San Jose, CA) is a viable option for intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) treatment of early-stage breast cancer. The low-energy (50-kVp) X-ray source simplifies shielding and increases relative biological effectiveness but increases dose distribution sensitivity to medium composition. Treatment planning systems typically assume homogenous water for brachytherapy dose calculations, including precalculated atlas plans for Xoft IORT. However, Xoft recommends saline for balloon applicator filling.

Source: Brachytherapy - December 8, 2017 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Gage Redler, Alistair Templeton, Heming Zhen, Julius Turian, Damian Bernard, James C.H. Chu, Katherine L. Griem, Yixiang Liao Tags: Technical Note Source Type: research