IMRT commissioning: Multiple institution planning and dosimetry comparisons, a report from AAPM Task Group 119 Journal Article


Authors: Ezzell, G. A.; Burmeister, J. W.; Dogan, N.; Losasso, T. J.; Mechalakos, J. G.; Mihailidis, D.; Molineu, A.; Palta, J. R.; Ramsey, C. R.; Salter, B. J.; Shi, J.; Xia, P.; Yue, N. J.; Xiao, Y.
Article Title: IMRT commissioning: Multiple institution planning and dosimetry comparisons, a report from AAPM Task Group 119
Abstract: AAPM Task Group 119 has produced quantitative confidence limits as baseline expectation values for IMRT commissioning. A set of test cases was developed to assess the overall accuracy of planning and delivery of IMRT treatments. Each test uses contours of targets and avoidance structures drawn within rectangular phantoms. These tests were planned, delivered, measured, and analyzed by nine facilities using a variety of IMRT planning and delivery systems. Each facility had passed the Radiological Physics Center credentialing tests for IMRT. The agreement between the planned and measured doses was determined using ion chamber dosimetry in high and low dose regions, film dosimetry on coronal planes in the phantom with all fields delivered, and planar dosimetry for each field measured perpendicular to the central axis. The planar dose distributions were assessed using gamma criteria of 3%/3 mm. The mean values and standard deviations were used to develop confidence limits for the test results using the concept confidence limit= mean +1.96σ. Other facilities can use the test protocol and results as a basis for comparison to this group. Locally derived confidence limits that substantially exceed these baseline values may indicate the need for improved IMRT commissioning. © 2009 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
Keywords: intensity modulated radiation therapy; radiation dose; prostatic neoplasms; imrt; head and neck neoplasms; radiotherapy, intensity-modulated; quality assurance; quality assurance, health care; image quality; radiometry; radiotherapy planning, computer-assisted; film dosimeter; ionization chamber; radiation beam; film dosimetry; phantoms, imaging; commissioning; radiation dose distribution
Journal Title: Medical Physics
Volume: 36
Issue: 11
ISSN: 0094-2405
Publisher: American Association of Physicists in Medicine  
Date Published: 2009-11-01
Start Page: 5359
End Page: 5373
Language: English
DOI: 10.1118/1.3238104
PUBMED: 19994544
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 9" - "Export Date: 30 November 2010" - "CODEN: MPHYA" - "Source: Scopus"
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
MSK Authors
  1. Thomas J LoSasso
    99 LoSasso