Single‐ and double‐plane iridium‐192 interstitial implants: Implantation guidelines and dosimetry

Abstract

Computerized dosimetric studies of single- and double-plane iridium-192 (Ir-192) planar implants were performed. With respect to dose homogeneity, we found that the optimal source and ribbon separation for single-plane implants was 1.0 cm. For double-plane implants, the preferred ribbon and plane separation was 1.5 cm, maintaining a 1-cm separation for the sources. Using these separations, standard dose rate curves for single- and double-plane Ir-192 implants were generated by computer calculations. These standard curves are useful for quickly and fairly accurately estimating the dose from any size planar implant, without requiring more time-consuming individual computer dosimetry. We believe that the curves will prove to be of practical clinical value to physicists and radiotherapists.