A standard set of "individualized" compensating filters for mantle field radiotherapy of Hodgkin's disease.

On the basis of experience with construction of custom compensating filters for 64 patients treated with mantle field techniques for Hodgkin’s disease, a standard set of component parts has been designed. "Individualized" compensating filters can now be rapidly assembled which correct for both the range in source surface distance to different areas and the variation in depth of the lymph nodes in several different anatomic regions. These filters have been constructed for positioning in the filter holder under specified treatment conditions, using cobalt 60 teletherapy. Modification is relatively simple for use of the filters at different source filter and source patient distances by appropriate scaling of size. Both phantom measurements and clinical experience have demonstrated the resulting improvement of dose homogeneity.