Considerations for an Effective Quality Assurance Program for Proton Therapy

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering book series (BIOMEDICAL, volume 320)

Abstract

Treatment with protons requires a high level of quality control over the entire process from the initial simulation to the final treatment fraction. This chapter provides an overview of recommendations and actual processes for a comprehensive proton therapy (PT) quality assurance program. There are a large number of parameters and a limited amount of time, so programs must be wise in the development and analysis of a PT quality program.

Keywords

Electronic Medical Record Treatment Planning System Proton Therapy Quality Assurance Program Gantry Angle 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. 1.
    G.H. Hartmann, Quality Management in Radiotherapy, in New Technologies in Radiation Oncology, ed. by W. Schlegel, T. Bortfeld, A.-L. Grosu. (Springer, Berlin, 2004), pp. 425–447Google Scholar
  2. 2.
    M. Goitein, Radiation Oncology: A Physicist’s-Eye View (Springer, Berlin, 2007), p. 288Google Scholar
  3. 3.
    S. Mutic, J.R. Palta, E.K. Butler, et al., Quality assurance for computed-tomography simulators and the computed-tomography-simulation process: Report of the AAPM Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group No. 68. Med. Phys. 30, 2762–2792 (2003)Google Scholar
  4. 4.
    ICRU Report 78, Prescribing, Recording, and Reporting Proton-Beam Therapy (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007)Google Scholar
  5. 5.
    U. Schneider, E. Pedroni, A. Lomax, The calibration of CT Hounsfield units for radiotherapy treatment planning. Phys. Med. Biol. 41, 111–124 (1996)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    J. Van Dyk, J.C. Rosenwald, B. Fraass, et al., Commissioning and Quality Assurance of Computerized Planning Systems for Radiation Treatment of Cancer, IAEA TRS-430 (IAEA, Vienna, 2004)Google Scholar
  7. 7.
    G. Ibbott, R. Schmidt, J. Van Dyk, et al., Protocol for Specification and Acceptance Testing of Radiation Treatment Planning Systems, IAEA TECDOC Series No. 1540 (IAEA, Vienna, 2007)Google Scholar
  8. 8.
    G. Kutcher, L. Coia, M. Gillin, et al., Comprehensive QA for Radiation Oncology: Report of AAPM Task Group 40. Med. Phys. 21, 581–618 (1994)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. 9.
    R.L. Maughan, J.B. Farr, Quality Assurance for Proton Therapy, in Proton and Charged Particle Radiotherapy, ed. by T.F. DeLaney, H.M. Kooy. (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2008)Google Scholar
  10. 10.
    M.F. Moyers, Proton Therapy, in The Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology. A Compendium for Medical Physicists and Radiation Oncologists, ed. by J. Van Dyk. (Medical Physics, Madison, WI, 1999)Google Scholar
  11. 11.
    ICRU Report 59 Clinical Proton Dosimetry Part I: Beam Production, Beam Delivery and Measurement of Absorbed Dose (ICRU, Bethesda, MD, 1998)Google Scholar
  12. 12.
    X. Ding, M. Bues, M. Zhu, et al., Measurement of the mechanical isocenter of a proton gantry. Med. Phys. 34, 2468 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    B. Andreo, D.T. Burns, K. Hohlfeld, et al., IAEA TRS-398 Absorbed Dose Determination in External Beam Radiotherapy: An International Code of Practice for Dosimetry Based on Standards of Absorbed Dose to Water (IAEA, Vienna, 2000)Google Scholar
  14. 14.
    M. Gillin, N. Sahoo, M. Bues, et al., Commissioning of discrete spot scanning proton delivery system at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Proton Therapy Center, Houston, Med. Phys. 37, 154–163 (2010)Google Scholar
  15. 15.
    B. Arjomandy, N. Sahoo, X.R. Zhu, et al., An overview of the comprehensive proton machine quality assurance procedures implemented at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Proton Therapy Center-Houston. Med. Phys. 36, 2269–2282 (2009)Google Scholar
  16. 16.
    N. Sahoo, X.R. Zhu, B. Arjomandy, et al., A procedure for calculation of monitor units for passively scattered proton radiotherapy beams. Med. Phys. 35, 5088–5097 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    J.F. Williamson, P. Dunscombe, M. Sharpe, et al., Quality assurance needs for modern image-based radiotherapy: Recommendations from 2007 interorganizational symposium on “quality assurance of radiation therapy: challenges of advanced technology”. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 71(Suppl), S2–S12 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    M. Goitein, Radiation Oncology: A Physicist’s-Eye View (Springer, Berlin, 2007), p. 287Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Radiation PhysicsUniversity of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUSA

Personalised recommendations