Chromosome aberration analysis in radiotherapy patients and simulated partial body exposures: biological dosimetry for non-uniform exposures

Chromosome aberration analysis was carried out in peripheral blood lymphocytes of cancer patients following radiotherapy of lungs, cervix and spine. Radiotherapy in the pelvic region involving large doses (6 Gy) showed an overdispersed distribution of dicentrics. However, when the doses were fractionated (three fractions of 2 Gy) distribution was found to be near Poisson. Spine irradiation covering almost all the lymphocytes pools, indicated a Poisson distribution. The data show that depending on the sites of exposure, the distribution of dicentrics in cells varies and hence there is a non-uniform distribution of lymphocytes in the body. The average dose to the lymphocytes was found to be one sixth of the partial body dose. Based on the non-Poisson distribution of aberrations, the fraction of lymphocytes irradiated, mean dose to the fraction and part of the body exposed was calculated in a case of acute 6 Gy pelvic irradiation. The fraction of cells irradiated was calculated to be 4.11% and the portion of the body exposed was approximately 16.8%. The dose to the irradiated fraction was found to be 5.4 Gy, which is in agreement with the given dose of 6 Gy. In simulated exposures the u values increased systematically with the decrease in fraction of irradiated cells and the calculated dose to the fraction was also in good agreement with the true dose.