T. Losasso et al., Comprehensive quality assurance for the delivery of intensity modulated radiotherapy with a multileaf collimator used in the dynamic mode, MED PHYS, 28(11), 2001, pp. 2209-2219
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology ,Nuclear Medicine & Imaging","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
The delivery of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using dynamic
multileaf collimation (DMLC) accounts for about 40% of all treatments on ei
ght multileaf collimator (MLC)-equipped linacs currently at the central and
satellite facilities of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC)
. These numbers have been steadily growing for the past 6 years. Treatment
with IMRT has been used for a variety of cancers, including tumors of the p
rostate, head and neck, breast, paraspinal regions, and brain. To ensure th
at patients are treated in an accurate, efficient, and safe manner, we have
developed a comprehensive QA program including mechanical quality assuranc
e, which monitors known potential weaknesses in the MLC device itself, and
verification of patient-specific treatments, to confirm the reliability of
new software and to identify errors introduced through human interaction wi
th individual patient's plans. This paper presents the reasoning, methodolo
gy, and results for mechanical, dosimetric, and electronic tests that are c
onducted at MSKCC. (C) 2001 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.