In-vivo rectal dose measurements with diodes to avoid misadministrations during intracavitary high dose rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix.

Our purpose in this paper is to present an in vivo dosimetry program designed both for measuring the rectal dose and for avoiding misadministrations in gynecological intracavitary implants. A device containing an energy compensated diode was specially designed for these measurements. Our calibration procedure as well as the clinical protocol is described. Measurements have been performed for 50 treatments delivered with a Fletcher Suit Delclos applicator. The calculated and in vivo measured values for the "20% reading," i.e., the dose delivered to the diode by the initial 20% of the total dwell time, agreed to within 15%.