Electron dosimetry can be performed using cylindrical chambers, plane-parallel chambers, and diode detectors. The finite volume of these detectors results in a displacement effect which is taken into account using an effective point of measurement (EPOM). Dosimetry protocols have recommended a shift of 0.5 r cav for cylindrical chambers; however, various studies have shown that the optimal shift may deviate from this recommended value. This study investigated the effect that the selection of EPOM shift for cylindrical chamber has on percentage depth dose (PDD) curves. Depth dose curves were measured in a water phantom for electron beams with energies ranging from 6 to 18 MeV. The detectors investigated were of three different types: diodes (Diode-E PTW 60017 and SFD IBA), cylindrical (Semiflex PTW 31010, PinPoint PTW 31015, and A12 Exradin), and parallel plate ionization chambers (Advanced Markus PTW 34045 and Markus PTW 23343). Depth dose curves measured with Diode-E and Advanced Markus agreed within 0.2 mm at R 50 except for 18 MeV and extremely large field size. The PDDs measured with the Semiflex chamber and Exradin A12 were about 1.1 mm (with respect to the Advanced Markus chamber) shallower than those measured with the other detectors using a 0.5 r cav shift. The difference between the PDDs decreased when a Pinpoint chamber, with a smaller cavity radius, was used. Agreement improved at lower energies, with the use of previously published EPOM corrections (0.3 r cav ). Therefore, the use of 0.5 r cav as an EPOM may result in a systematic shift of the therapeutic portion of the PDD (distances < R 90 ). Our results suggest that a 0.1 r cav shift is more appropriate for one chamber model (Semiflex PTW 31010). K E Y W O R D S dosimetry protocols, electrons, EPOM, PDD, radius of cavity (r cav )

Objective: Commissioning of a Monte Carlo based electron dose calculation algorithm requires percentage depth doses (PDDs) and beam profiles which can be measured with multiple detectors. Electron dosimetry is commonly performed with cylindrical chambers but parallel plate chambers and diodes can also be used. The purpose of this study was to determine the most appropriate detector to perform the commissioning measurements. Methods: PDDs and beam profiles were measured for beams with energies ranging from 6 MeV to 15 MeV and field sizes ranging from 6 cm × 6 cm to 40 cm × 40 cm. Detectors used included diodes, cylindrical and parallel plate ionization chambers. Beam profiles were measured in water (100 cm source to surface distance) and in air (95 cm source to detector distance). Results: PDDs for the cylindrical chambers were shallower (1.3 mm averaged over all energies and field sizes) than those measured with the parallel plate chambers and diodes. Surface doses measured with the diode and cylindrical chamber were on average larger by 1.6 % and 3% respectively than those of the parallel plate chamber. Profiles measured with a diode resulted in penumbra values smaller than those measured with the cylindrical chamber by 2 mm. Conclusion: The diode was selected as the most appropriate detector since PDDs agreed with those measured with parallel plate chambers (typically recommended for low energies) and results in sharper profiles. Unlike ion chambers, no corrections are needed to measure PDDs, making it more convenient to use.