Shielding for neutron scattered dose to the fetus in patients treated with 18 MV x-ray beams

Neutrons are associated with therapeutic high energy x-ray beams as a contaminant that contributes significant unwanted dose to the patient. Measurement of both photon and neutron scattered dose at the position of a fetus from chest irradiation by a large field 18 MV x-ray beam was performed using an ionization chamber and superheated drop detector, respectively. Shielding construction to reduce this scattered dose was investigated using both lead sheet and berated polyethylene slabs. A 7.35 cm lead shield reduced the scattered photon dose by 50% and the scattered neutron dose by 40%. Adding 10 cm of 5% berated polyethylene to this lead shield reduced the scattered neutron dose by a factor of 7.5 from the unshielded value. When the 5% berated polyethylene was replaced by the same thickness of 30% berated polyethylene there was no significant change in the reduction of neutron scatter dose. The most efficient shield studied reduced the neutron scatter dose by a factor of 10. The results indicate that most of the scattered neutrons present at the position of the fetus produced by an 18 MV x-ray beam are of low energy and in the thermal to 0.57 MeV range since lead is almost transparent to neutrons with energies lower than 0.57 MeV. This article constitutes the first report of an effective shield to reduce neutron dose at the fetus when treating a pregnant woman with a high energy x-ray beam. (C) 2000 American Association of Physicists in Medicine. [S0094-2405(00)02908-4].