Commissioning considerations for the Bravos high-dose-rate afterloader: Towards improving treatment delivery accuracy Journal Article


Authors: Cohen, G. N.; He, X.; Trager, M.; Chan, M. F.; Park, J.; Damato, A. L.; Nunez, D. A.
Article Title: Commissioning considerations for the Bravos high-dose-rate afterloader: Towards improving treatment delivery accuracy
Abstract: BACKGROUND And PURPOSE: The upgrade of major equipment can be disruptive to clinical operations and introduce risk as policy and procedures need to adapt to new technical possibilities and constraints. We describe here the transition from GammaMedPlus-iX to Bravos in a busy brachytherapy clinic, involving four afterloaders across two sites. MATERIAL And METHODS: Our clinic employs three high-dose-rate remote afterloaders in four dedicated treatment vaults at the main site and a fourth afterloader at a regional location. Of more than 600 new HDR treatment plans performed annually, most are planned and treated intraoperatively. Most treatments are for prostate cancer, followed by GYN, intraoperative brachytherapy, GI, and other sites. Applicators used include vendor-provided applicators as well as third party applicators and in-house 3D-printed devices to provide interstitial, intracavitary, intraluminal, and surface treatments. All applicators were commissioned according to recommended guidelines. The choice of tolerances and the design of new procedures were informed by current guidelines and leveraged new HDR afterloader functionalities. A review of clinical operations in the 4 months postupgrade was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of new tolerances and the effectiveness of new procedures. RESULTS: The procedures outlined improved and standardized afterloader QA and treatment protocols with clear actionable steps for staff to follow to ensure treatments are delivered as planned. Re-commissioning of applicators yielded results similar to those previously reported by other investigators. A review of initial treatment data revealed that in one case, due to the implementation of tight tolerances, obstruction near the tip of the channel was detected and corrected prior to treatment. It confirms that the implementation of the tolerances adopted is feasible and effective in flagging treatment deviations. CONCLUSION: Enhanced procedures and QA processes were implemented successfully. We established clear actionable steps to follow by staff to ensure that treatments are delivered accurately. © 2024 American Brachytherapy Society
Keywords: cancer surgery; comparative study; prostate cancer; quality assurance; brachytherapy; health care delivery; autoradiography; peroperative care; female genital tract cancer; high dose rate; high dose rate brachytherapy; treatment protocol; human; article; vaginal brachytherapy; three dimensional printing; anatomical location; enhanced treatment verification
Journal Title: Brachytherapy
Volume: 23
Issue: 6
ISSN: 1538-4721
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 2024-11-01
Start Page: 705
End Page: 711
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.brachy.2024.06.010
PUBMED: 39112321
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC12216218
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- MSK Cancer Center Support Grant (P30 CA008748) acknowledged in PubMed and PDF -- Source: Scopus
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
MSK Authors
  1. Maria F Chan
    192 Chan
  2. Gilad N Cohen
    182 Cohen
  3. Antonio Leonardo Damato
    79 Damato
  4. Xiuxiu He
    19 He
  5. Michael Trager
    7 Trager
  6. Jeonghoon Park
    12 Park