MDCB UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔The five year cure rate for a prostate cancer tumor treated with primary radiation is:
(A) 5 - 10%
(B) 25 - 30%
(C) 50 - 70%
(D) 75 - 95% - ✔✔(D) 75 - 95%
✔✔A lung tumor is to be treated utilizing a 90 degree arc. For a target volume centered
6.0 cm
below the skin surface, how far below the skin surface should the isocenter be placed?
(A) 2.5 cm
(B) 6.0 cm
(C) 9.0 cm
(D) 12.0 cm - ✔✔(C) 9.0 cm
✔✔Very accurate specification of dose at depth in a wedged field necessitates that the
medical dosimetrist accounts for which of the following factors?
(A) same central axis percent depth dose that occurs in a wedged field
(B) wedge transmission factor is measured in air or in tissue
(C) no variations of the wedge transmission factor with field size
(D) reduction in collimator scatter that is reaching the patient - ✔✔(B) wedge
transmission factor is measured in air or in tissue
✔✔The five year cure rate for a bladder cancer tumor treated with primary radiation is:
(A) 0 - 5%
(B) 5 - 10%
(C) 25 - 30%
(D) 50 - 70% - ✔✔(C) 25 - 30%
✔✔The five-year survival rate for a esophageal cancer tumor treated with primary
radiation is:
(A) 0 - 5%
(B) 5 - 10%
(C) 25 - 30%
(D) 50 - 70% - ✔✔(B) 5 - 10%
✔✔The chance of having positive pelvic lymph nodes with Stage II cervical cancer is:
(A) 10 - 20%
(B) 25 - 35%
(C) 40 - 50%
(D) 60 - 70% - ✔✔(B) 25 - 35%
, ✔✔The chance of having positive pelvic lymph nodes with Stage III cervical cancer is:
(A) 10 -20%
(B) 25-35%
(C) 40-50%
(D) 60-70% - ✔✔(C) 40-50%
✔✔The exposure rate emitting from a brachytherapy safe is found to be 25 mR/hr at 1
m from the
safe source. The minimum thickness of shielding necessary to reduce the exposure to
an
adjacent office secretary to an acceptable level would be:
(A) 1 TVL.
(B) 2 TVL.
(C) 10 TVL.
(D) 12 TVL. - ✔✔(B) 2 TVL.
✔✔According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), a brachytherapy
recordable event is
an administration of a dose that differs from the prescribed dose by more than:
(A) 3%.
(B) 5%.
(C) 10%.
(D) 15%. - ✔✔(C) 10%.
✔✔For quality assurance of brachytherapy treatment planning computers, the dose
rates should
agree with published data tables to which of the following degrees?
(A) +- 1%
(B) +- 2%
(C) +- 3%
(D) +- 5% - ✔✔(B) +- 2%
✔✔The expected accuracy of treatment planning systems that perform brachytherapy
dose
calculations should be within:
(A) +/- 3%
(B) +/- 5%
(C) +/- 7%
(D) +/- 10% - ✔✔(B) +/- 5%
✔✔Which of the following beams would be most affected when treatment planning in
the head and
neck region is done using inhomogeneity corrections?
(A) 4 MV X rays
(B) 6 MV X rays
AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔The five year cure rate for a prostate cancer tumor treated with primary radiation is:
(A) 5 - 10%
(B) 25 - 30%
(C) 50 - 70%
(D) 75 - 95% - ✔✔(D) 75 - 95%
✔✔A lung tumor is to be treated utilizing a 90 degree arc. For a target volume centered
6.0 cm
below the skin surface, how far below the skin surface should the isocenter be placed?
(A) 2.5 cm
(B) 6.0 cm
(C) 9.0 cm
(D) 12.0 cm - ✔✔(C) 9.0 cm
✔✔Very accurate specification of dose at depth in a wedged field necessitates that the
medical dosimetrist accounts for which of the following factors?
(A) same central axis percent depth dose that occurs in a wedged field
(B) wedge transmission factor is measured in air or in tissue
(C) no variations of the wedge transmission factor with field size
(D) reduction in collimator scatter that is reaching the patient - ✔✔(B) wedge
transmission factor is measured in air or in tissue
✔✔The five year cure rate for a bladder cancer tumor treated with primary radiation is:
(A) 0 - 5%
(B) 5 - 10%
(C) 25 - 30%
(D) 50 - 70% - ✔✔(C) 25 - 30%
✔✔The five-year survival rate for a esophageal cancer tumor treated with primary
radiation is:
(A) 0 - 5%
(B) 5 - 10%
(C) 25 - 30%
(D) 50 - 70% - ✔✔(B) 5 - 10%
✔✔The chance of having positive pelvic lymph nodes with Stage II cervical cancer is:
(A) 10 - 20%
(B) 25 - 35%
(C) 40 - 50%
(D) 60 - 70% - ✔✔(B) 25 - 35%
, ✔✔The chance of having positive pelvic lymph nodes with Stage III cervical cancer is:
(A) 10 -20%
(B) 25-35%
(C) 40-50%
(D) 60-70% - ✔✔(C) 40-50%
✔✔The exposure rate emitting from a brachytherapy safe is found to be 25 mR/hr at 1
m from the
safe source. The minimum thickness of shielding necessary to reduce the exposure to
an
adjacent office secretary to an acceptable level would be:
(A) 1 TVL.
(B) 2 TVL.
(C) 10 TVL.
(D) 12 TVL. - ✔✔(B) 2 TVL.
✔✔According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), a brachytherapy
recordable event is
an administration of a dose that differs from the prescribed dose by more than:
(A) 3%.
(B) 5%.
(C) 10%.
(D) 15%. - ✔✔(C) 10%.
✔✔For quality assurance of brachytherapy treatment planning computers, the dose
rates should
agree with published data tables to which of the following degrees?
(A) +- 1%
(B) +- 2%
(C) +- 3%
(D) +- 5% - ✔✔(B) +- 2%
✔✔The expected accuracy of treatment planning systems that perform brachytherapy
dose
calculations should be within:
(A) +/- 3%
(B) +/- 5%
(C) +/- 7%
(D) +/- 10% - ✔✔(B) +/- 5%
✔✔Which of the following beams would be most affected when treatment planning in
the head and
neck region is done using inhomogeneity corrections?
(A) 4 MV X rays
(B) 6 MV X rays
