Dose optimization for high dose rate applicators in brachytherapy

A study of the current methods in brachytherapy is presented based on the practice in existence at the Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie, Indiana.The dosages of radiation delivered inside the human body by applicators of different sizes are analyzed. The purpose of this procedure is to have a tumor that is located within the human body subjected to a high radiation dose, while sparing the healthy tissue and the surrounding organs.The selection of the treatment parameters (radiation source positions and dose activation time) to be used in order to achieve a maximum efficiency of the treatment is taken into consideration.A new method of dose optimization is proposed and a comparison with the method currently in use is presented with emphasis on the possible improvements that can be reached by applying the proposed method.Department of Physics and AstronomyThesis (M.A.