Energy deposition spectra of negative pions and their application to radiation therapy.

Treatment planning for pion radiation therapy must take into account changes in radiation quality within the patient. At the biomedical channel piE3 of SIN (Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research) microdosimetric measurements have been performed to investigate radiation quality within pion irradiated phantoms. Results are presented in terms of microdosimetric spectra and derived quantities. As expected marked differences are observed between dose peak and plateau for "narrow" pion beams. The influence of simulated site diameter on measured spectra has been found to be more pronounced in the plateau region than in the peak. Investigation of the influence of peak width on radiation quality revealed a dilution of the high-LET dose fraction for broader peaks.