Dosimetry and Medical Radiation Physics

E2.40.13 Development of procedures for quality assurance for dosimetry calculations in radiotherapy

Background

Treatment planning systems are widely available in developed and developing countries. Computer-based treatment planning is now considered to be a standard of practice that can significantly elevate the quality of radiation treatment. However, the complexity of planning systems has led to their misuse, while the process of testing their accuracy remains a task that is beyond the capabilities of most radiation therapy facilities. Even if a treatment planning system is used by a well-trained qualified person, various types of errors, for instance due to inaccuracies in the input and output data or limitations of the algorithms, may represent a safety hazard to patients. Therefore formal acceptance testing and commissioning of the TPS, i.e., a comprehensive series of operational tests before using the TPS for treating patients, is required. These tests, which should partly be performed by the vendor and partly by the user, do not only serve to ensure the safe use of the system in a specific clinic, but also help the user in appreciating the possibilities of the system and understanding its limitations.