Abstract
A methodology has been developed for a dosimetry inter-comparison of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivery in Australasia. The inter-comparison is part of site credentialing for those sites participating in the prostate fractionated irradiation trial (PROFIT) for intermediate-risk prostate patients developed by the Ontario Clinical Oncology Group and coordinated in Australasia by the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group. Features of the dosimetry inter-comparison design included the use of a dedicated pelvic anthropomorphic phantom, the use of a single CT data set of the phantom including contours and the use of radiochromic film as a dosimeter. Action levels for agreement between measured dose and treatment planning system dose have been proposed based on measurement uncertainty and international experience. A trial run of the dosimetry procedure at the reference centre gave results within the predefined action levels.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Peters LJ, O’Sullivan B, Giralt J, Fitzgerald TJ, Trotti A, Bernier J et al (2010) Critical impact of radiotherapy protocol compliance and quality in the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer: results from TROG 02.02. J Clin Oncol 28:2996–3001
Ibbott GS, Followill DS, Molineu HA, Lowenstein JR, Alvarez PE, Roll JE (2008) Challenges in credentialing institutions and participants in advanced technology multi-institutional clinical trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 71:S71–S75
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00304759 accessed 10 June 2010
Das IJ, Cheng C-W, Chopra KL, Mitra RK, Srivastava SP, Glatstein E (2008) Intensity-modulated radiation therapy dose prescription, recording and delivery: patterns of variability amongst institutions and treatment planning systems. J Nat Cancer Inst 100:300–307
ICRU (2010) Report 83: prescribing, recording, and reporting photon-beam intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), Journal of the ICRU 10
Galvin JM, Ezzell G, Eisbrauch A et al (2004) Implementing IMRT in clinical practice: a joint document of the American society for therapeutic radiology and oncology and the American association of physicists in medicine. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 58:1616–1634
Purdy JA (2008) Quality assurance issues in conducting multi-institutional advanced technology clinical trials. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 71:S66–S70
Ebert MA, Harrison KM, Cornes D, Howlett SJ, Joseph DJ, Kron T, Hamilton CS, Denham JW (2009) Comprehensive Australasian multicentre dosimetric intercomparison: issues, logistics and recommendations. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 53:119–131
Kron T, Hamilton C, Roff M, Denham J (2002) Dosimetric intercomparison for two Australasian clinical trials using an anthropomorphic phantom. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 52:566–579
Ebert MA, Harrison KM, Howlett SJ, Cornes D, Kron T, Joseph DJ, Hamilton CS, Denham JD (2009) Outcomes of the Australasian level III dosimetry intercomparison. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol 53(Supplement 1):A62
Ebert MA, Haworth A, Kearvell R, Hooton B, Coleman R, Spry N, Bydder S, Joseph D (2008) Detailed review and analysis of complex radiotherapy clinical trial planning data: evaluation and initial experience with the SWAN software system. Radiother Oncol 86:200–210
Harrison K (2009) A novel anthropomorphic pelvic phantom designed for multicentre level III dosimetry intercomparison. Masters thesis, University of Newcastle
IAEA (2006) Absorbed dose determination in external beam radiotherapy: an international code of practice for dosimetry based on standards of absorbed dose to water, Technical Report Series No 398. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna
Christ G (1995) White polystyrene as a substitute for water in high energy photon dosimetry. Med Phys 22:2097–2100
van Battum LJ, Hoffmans D, Piersma H, Heukelom S (2008) Accurate dosimetry with GafChromic EBT film of a 6 MV photon beam in water: what level is achievable? Med Phys 35:704–716
Low DA, Harms WB, Mutic S, Purdy JA (1998) A technique for the quantitative evaluation of dose distributions. Med Phys 25:656–661
Mijnheer B, Georg D (eds) (2008) Guidelines for the verification of IMRT, ESTRO Booklet 9. ESTRO, Brussels
Ezzell GA, Burmeister JW, Dogan N, LoSasso TJ, Mechalakos JG, Mihailidis D et al (2009) IMRT commissioning: multiple institution planning and dosimetry comparisons, a report from AAPM task group 119. Med Phys 36:5359–5373
Ibbott GS, Molineau A, Followill DS (2006) Independent evaluations of IMRT through the use of an anthropomorphic phantom. Technol Cancer Res Treat 5:481–487
Rogers DWO, Feddegon BA, Ding GX, We J (1995) BEAM: a Monte Carlo code to simulate radiotherapy treatment units. Med Phys 22:503–524
Rink A, Vitkin IA, Jaffray DA (2007) Energy dependence (75 kVp to 18 MV) of radiochromic films assessed using a real-time optical dosimeter. Med Phys 34:458–463
Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by research grants from Cancer Australia and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. The authors thank the Physics Department of the Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital for the loan of the Elvis pelvic anthropomorphic phantom and for the photograph of the phantom.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Healy, B., Frantzis, J., Murry, R. et al. Development of a dosimetry inter-comparison for IMRT as part of site credentialing for a TROG multi-centre clinical trial for prostate cancer. Australas Phys Eng Sci Med 34, 195–202 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-011-0063-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13246-011-0063-7