Abstract

Radiation therapy is a highly effective cancer treatment contributing to 40 per cent of all cancer cures worldwide, as well as improving the quality of life for many others.

These cancer treatments use high-energy x-ray or other particles, such as protons, to destroy cancer cells. A linear accelerator, or linac, creates a radiation beam for high-energy x-ray (or photons and/or neutrons), targeted to the area within the body to be treated. Approximately 50 per cent of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy. For this reason, most cancer treatment hospitals and clinics include radiation therapy in their facilities. This requires a specially designed treatment room (also known as a bunker or vault) providing radiation shielding.

The purpose of radiation shielding is to limit radiation exposures to an acceptable level. The design and installation of structural shielding for megavoltage x-ray and gamma-ray radiotherapy facilities require specific calculations and shielding design by a physicist or other expert in radiation protection who understand the permissible exposure levels. There is a variety of shielding materials used to design and construct such a treatment room.

In this workshop, we will explore the basics of radiation protection and the pros and cons of each to be considered in the design of radiation oncology departments.