Monte Carlo dosimetric characterization of the Flexisource Co-60 high-dose-rate brachytherapy source using PENELOPE

Purpose: ⁶⁰Co sources have been commercialized as an alternative to ¹⁹²Ir sources for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy. One of them is the Flexisource Co-60 HDR source manufactured by Elekta. The only available dosimetric characterization of this source is that of Vijande et al. [J Contemp Brachytherapy 2012; 4:34-44], whose results were not included in the AAPM/ESTRO consensus document. In that work, the dosimetric quantities were calculated as averages of the results obtained with the Geant4 and PENELOPE Monte Carlo (MC) codes, though for other sources, significant differences have been quoted between the values obtained with these two codes. The aim of this work is to perform the dosimetric characterization of the Flexisource Co-60 HDR source using PENELOPE.

Methods and materials: The MC simulation code PENELOPE (v. 2014) has been used. Following the recommendations of the AAPM/ESTRO report, the radial dose function, the anisotropy function, the air-kerma strength, the dose rate constant, and the absorbed dose rate in water have been calculated.

Results: The results we have obtained exceed those of Vijande et al. In particular, the absorbed dose rate constant is ∼0.85% larger. A similar difference is also found in the other dosimetric quantities. The effect of the electrons emitted in the decay of ⁶⁰Co, usually neglected in this kind of simulations, is significant up to the distances of 0.25 cm from the source.

Conclusions: The systematic and significant differences we have found between PENELOPE results and the average values found by Vijande et al. point out that the dosimetric characterizations carried out with the various MC codes should be provided independently.