Radiation protection of the patient during radiotherapy.

Systematic studies of gonadal doses to patients undergoing therapy on 60Co and X-ray machines were carried out using thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD). Phantom and in vivo measurements were performed for various field sizes and for different positions of the centre of the field on the patient's body with exception of fields including the gonads during radiotherapeutic treatment. It was shown that there is no effect of various SSD and that most radiation reaching gonads is transmitted axially through the body and therefore, it is impossible to reduce this dose with a simple shielding. The figures presented allow prediction of gonadal doses at various conditions. The efficiency of lung, mouth etc. shielding during radiotherapy was also investigated.