Year

2017

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

School of Engineering - Physics

Abstract

Brachytherapy is an important therapeutic modality in modern cancer treatments. HDR Brachytherapy involves one highly radioactive source that is placed in different positions inside the prostate to deliver planned dose to target volume. LDR Brachytherapy includes implantation of multiple 125I seeds within the prostate to deliver a planned dose to the target. To ensure that the quality of source positions is accurate and effective at treating cancer it is extremely important to provide effective Quality Assurance (QA) measures and verification of source positioning during treatment. Currently, image guidance systems such as Trans Rectal Ultrasound (TRUS), Cone beam Computer Tomography (CBCT), and C-arm CT machines are employed in cancer centres to provide image guidance of source positioning during treatment. These systems are limited in either resolution, lack of real-time image guidance, or delivering additional imaging dose to the patient. This causes suboptimal dosimetry and high toxicity to surrounding critical organs.

FoR codes (2008)

029903 Medical Physics

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.