DOSIMETRY OF INTRACAVITARY APPLICATIONS IN CARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX - RECTAL DOSE ANALYSIS

The International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU ), in its Report-38, has given certain recommendations regarding the s pecifications of bladder and rectal reference points in the intracavit ary treatment of carcinoma of the cervix. Conforming to this report, 1 82 intracavitary applications performed in stage I and II cervix cases were analyzed. In 113 applications, the maximum rectal dose was found to be in a point on the anteroposterior line drawn through the centre of colpostat sources. However, for our type of applications, the poin t on the anteroposterior line drawn through the lower end of the uteri ne tube seldom gets maximum dose. In addition, it was observed that th ere are other dose points than the ICRU reference point receiving dose s close to maximum dose. It was concluded that doses to multiple recta l reference points should be recorded, in addition to the ICRU-defined rectal reference point. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.