Development of an applicator for endometrial cancer treatment using a miniature X-ray tube

Abstract

Recently, the endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer with high incidence worldwide. In the treatment of endometrial cancer, the brachytherapy inserting a postoperative radiation source into the vagina is widely used. In the case of endometrial cancer patients whose ages are mostly older and who have a different birth rate, the size of the patient varies depending on the individual. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a patient-specific applicator that matches the size of the vagina for each patient. Meanwhile, compared to conventional radioisotopes used as a brachytherapy source, the miniature X-ray tubes are less expensive and have less stringent protection standards, potentially replacing radioactive isotopes. Therefore, in this study, we developed a patient-specific applicator for the treatment of endometrial cancer using a miniature X-ray tube and optimized the dose distribution to satisfy the treatment conditions of endometrial cancer.