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Comprehensive quality assurance for the delivery of intensity modulated radiotherapy with a multileaf collimator used in the dynamic mode
Author(s) -
LoSasso Thomas,
Chui ChenShou,
Ling C. Clifton
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.473
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 2473-4209
pISSN - 0094-2405
DOI - 10.1118/1.1410123
Subject(s) - multileaf collimator , quality assurance , medical physics , radiation therapy , collimated light , medicine , dosimetry , radiation treatment planning , intensity modulation , head and neck , computer science , nuclear medicine , radiology , surgery , optics , physics , laser , external quality assessment , pathology , phase modulation , phase noise
The delivery of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) using dynamic multileaf collimation (DMLC) accounts for about 40% of all treatments on eight 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 prostate, head and neck, breast, paraspinal regions, and brain. To ensure that patients are treated in an accurate, efficient, and safe manner, we have developed a comprehensive QA program including mechanical quality assurance, 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 with individual patient's plans. This paper presents the reasoning, methodology, and results for mechanical, dosimetric, and electronic tests that are conducted at MSKCC.