Performance characteristics of the EPR dosimetry system with table sugar in radiotherapy applications.

Abstract Performance characteristics of the megavoltage photon dose measurements with EPR and table sugar were analyzed. An advantage of sugar as a dosimetric material is its tissue equivalency. The minimal detectable dose was found to be 1.5 Gy for both the 6 and 18 MV photons. The dose response curves are linear up to at least 20 Gy. The energy dependence of the dose response in the megavoltage energy range is very weak and probably statistically insignificant. Reproducibility of measurements of various doses in this range performed with the peak-to-peak and double-integral methods is reported. The method can be used in real-time dosimetry in radiation therapy.