Development of a quality assurance tool for high-dose-rate brachytherapy toward safe treatment for cervical cancer

• Project/Area Number: 17K16480
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: Kitasato University
• Principal Investigator: NOZAWA MARIKA 北里大学, 医学部, 助教 (30773501)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: 子宮頚癌 / 小線源治療 / 品質管理 / シンチレーター / 人体模擬ファントム / 高線量率小線源治療 / 品質保証(QA) / シンチレータ / チェレンコフ光 / 子宮頸癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With advances in high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy, the importance of quality assurance (QA) is increasing to ensure safe delivery of the treatment for cervical cancer. However, conventional QA is time-consuming, involving the use of several different measurement tools. We developed simple QA method for HDR brachytherapy based on the imaging of radiation and evaluated its performance. The method should be highly suitable for quick and easy QA investigations of HDR brachytherapy as it allows measurements of dose distribution, source strength, and source position.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

aaa高線量率小線源治療の品質保証は、従来、時間がかかり、煩雑であったが、迅速かつ簡便に行うことが可能になった。線源動作エラーを未然に発見することで、さらに安全な子宮頚癌放射線治療の実施に寄与すると期待される。放射線による発光を、広くがん放射線治療の品質保証法に適用できる可能性が示せ、さらなる応用が期待される。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Imaging Cherenkov emission for quality assurance of high-dose-rate brachytherapy (2020)
  • Author(s): K Yogo, A Matsushita, Y Tatsuno, T Shimo, S Hirota, M Nozawa, S Ozawa, H Ishiyama, H Yasuda, Y Nagata & K Hayakawa
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Pages: 3572-3572
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60519-z
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Automated source tracking with a pinhole imaging system during high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatment (2018)
  • Author(s): Watanabe Yusuke、Muraishi Hiroshi、Takei Hideyuki、Hara Hidetake、Terazaki Tsuyoshi、Shuto Nobuaki、Shimo Takahiro、Nozawa Marika、Ishiyama Hiromichi、Hayakawa Kazushige、Gomi Tsutomu
  • Journal Title: Physics in Medicine & Biology Volume: 63 Issue: 14 Pages: 145002-145002
  • DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aacdc9
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] チェレンコフ光の可視化による高線量率小線源治療の 品質保証ツールの開発 (2019)
  • Author(s): 余語克紀，下貴裕, 廣田 誠子, 保田浩志, 野澤茉莉花, 石山博條
  • Organizer: 第8回3Dゲル研究会
• [Presentation] Output characteristics of Cerenkov emission for a quality assurance tool in HDR brachytherapy (2018)
  • Author(s): Katsunori Yogo1) 2), Yuya Tatsuno2), Takumi Narusawa2), Takahiro Shimo3), Marika Nozawa4),
  • Organizer: 日本医学物理学会