An intercomparison between two methods of obtaining percentage depth doses for irregular shaped fields and comparison of each method with experimental data for 60Co and 10 MV X rays.

Measurements of central ray tissue-air ratio (TAR) for 60Co for a large number of irregularly shaped fields typically encountered in the cancer clinic were compared with TAR values either calculated by the Clarkson method using scatter air ratios or obtained from tables of square field data using the area/perimeter approach. Irregular field shapes included the "L", pentagonal, rectangular, upper and lower mantle and split fields. Agreement between both calculational methods and direct measurement is within +/- 2% if careful attention is given to central ray position as affected by the proper use of off-centre ratios in air. In the case of 10 MV X-rays, eight randomly chosen irregular fields again yielded an average agreement between both methods of calculation and experimental data of less than 1% and an agreement of less than 0.5% between the A/P and Clarkson calculations.