An inter-centre quality assurance network for IMRT verification: results of the ESTRO QUASIMODO project.
Affiliation
Department of Radiotherapy, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium. sifie.gillis@skynet.beIssue Date
2005-09
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: IMRT necessitates extension of existing inter-centre quality assurance programs due to its increased complexity. We assessed the feasibility of an inter-centre verification method for different IMRT techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight European radiotherapy institutions of the QUASIMODO network, have designed an IMRT plan for a horseshoe-shaped PTV surrounding a cylindrical OAR in a simplified pelvic phantom. All centres applied common plan objectives but used their own equipment for planning and delivery. They verified the delivery of this plan according to a common protocol with radiographic film and ionisation chamber measurements. The irradiated films, the results of the ionisation chamber measurements and the computed dose distributions were sent to one analysis centre that compared the measured and computed dose distributions with the gamma method and composite dose-area histograms. RESULTS: 4% (relative to the prescribed dose) and 3mm (distance-to-agreement) were decided feasible gamma criteria. The composite dose-area histograms showed a maximum local deviation of 3.5% in the mean dose of the PTV and 5% in the OAR. Systematic differences could be identified, and in some cases explained. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-centre dosimetric verification study demonstrated both the feasibility of a multi-centre quality assurance network to evaluate any IMRT planning and delivery system combination, as well as the validity of the methodology involved.Citation
An inter-centre quality assurance network for IMRT verification: results of the ESTRO QUASIMODO project. 2005, 76 (3):340-53 Radiother OncolJournal
Radiotherapy and OncologyDOI
10.1016/j.radonc.2005.06.021PubMed ID
16099521Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0167-8140ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.radonc.2005.06.021