• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2012

For applying the quality assurance (QA) of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) introduced in Eulji Hospital, we classify it into three different QA steps, treatment planning QA, pretreatment delivering QA, and treatment verifying QA. These steps are based on the existing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) QA that is currently used in our hospital. In each QA step, the evaluated items that are from QA program are configured and documented. In this study, QA program is not only applied to actual patient treatment, but also evaluated to establish a reference of clinical acceptance in pretreatment delivering QA. As a result, the confidence limits (CLs) in the measurements for the high-dose and low-dose regions are similar to the conventional IMRT level, and the clinical acceptance references in our hospital are determined to be 3 to 5% for the high-dose and the low-dose regions, respectively. Due to the characteristics of VMAT, evaluation of the intensity map was carried out using an ArcCheck device that was able to measure the intensity map in all directions, $360^{\circ}$. With a couple of dosimetric devices, the gamma index was evaluated and analyzed. The results were similar to the result of individual intensity maps in IMRT. Mapcheck, which is a 2-dimensional (2D) array device, was used to display the isodose distributions and gave very excellent local CL results. Thus, in our hospital, the acceptance references used in practical clinical application for the intensity maps of $360^{\circ}$ directions and the coronal isodose distributions were determined to be 93% and 95%, respectively. To reduce arbitrary uncertainties and system errors, we had to evaluate the local CLs by using a phantom and to cooperate with multiple organizations to participate in this evaluation. In addition, we had to evaluate the local CLs by dividing them into different sections about the patient treatment points in practical clinics.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 2004

Purpose : A new fiduciary plate and orientation marker have been devised to assist the quality assurance (QA) procedures for port films in radiation therapy department. The plate is used in conjunction with the film/cassette combination during weekly QA procedures, at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), in order to verify treatment fields in high radiation therapy. Materials and Methods : A new fiduciary plate was fabricated using an acrylic plate, cerrobend, standard blocking tray and mercury. The acrylic plate had the dimension of $1{\times}25{\times}25$ cm, with two fiduciary markers. The plate was rigidly attached onto the standard blocking tray, thus making it easier to set the fiduciary plate to the center on the radiation field on the linear accelerator. The plate had two 2-mm vertical and horizontal lines, with the minor scales in 2-cm steps. The orientation marker was a small mercury filled disk, which was inserted into the plate. Results : The geometrical structure of the lines in the plate makes it easier to correlate two different images between the simulation and port films. The marker clearly indicated the orientation of the film, for example, the anterior, posterior, left, right and various oblique orientations, without the placement of a conventional orientation marker. Also, the new orientation marker could easily be applied to the simulator by placing the small orientation marker onto the image intensifier or in front of the film/cassette holder. Conclusions : The new fiduciary plate appears to be useful in verifying the treatment fields, and the new orientation marker makes the film orientation simple, which is expected to lower the block fabrication errors.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.41-52
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• 2003

I. Purpose The dose distribution in normal tissues and target lesions is very important in the treatment planning. To make the uniform dose distribution in target lesions, many methods has been used. Especially in the head and neck, the dose inhomogeneity at the skin surface should be corrected. Conventional methods have a limitation in delivering the enough doses to the planning target volume (PTV) with minimized dose to the parotid gland and spinal cord. In this study, we investigated the feasibility and the practical QA methods of the forward IMRT. II. Material and Methods The treatment plan of the forward IMRT with the partial block technique using the dynamic multi-leaf collimator (dMLC) for the patients with the nasopharyngeal cancer was verified using the dose volume histogram (DVH). The films and pinpoint chamber were used for the accurate dose verification. III. Results As a result of verifying the DVH for the 2-D treatment plan with the forward IMRT, the dose to the both parotid gland and spinal cord were reduced. So the forward IMRT could save the normal tissues and optimize the treatment. Forward IMRT can use the 3-D treatment planning system and easily assure the quality, so it is easily accessible comparing with inverse IMRT IV. Conclusion The forward IMRT could make the uniform dose in the PTV while maintaining under the tolerance dose in the normal tissues comparing with the 2-D treatment.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.54-60
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• 2017

This study was designed to measure transit dose with an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) in eight patients treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), and to verify the accuracy of dose delivery to patients. The calculated dose map of the treatment planning system (TPS) was compared with the EPID based dose measured on the same plane with a gamma index method. The plan for each patient was verified prior to treatment with a diode array (MapCHECK) and portal dose image prediction (PDIP). To simulate possible patient positioning errors during treatment, outcomes were evaluated after an anthropomorphic phantom was displaced 5 and 10 mm in various directions. Based on 3%/3 mm criteria, the $mean{\pm}SD$ passing rates of MapCHECK, PDIP (pre-treatment QA) for 47 IMRT were $99.8{\pm}0.1%$, $99.0{\pm}0.7%$, and, respectively. Besides, passing rates using transit dosimetry was $90.0{\pm}1.5%$ for the same condition. Setup errors of 5 and 10 mm reduced the mean passing rates by 1.3% and 3.0% (inferior to superior), 2.2% and 4.3% (superior to inferior), 5.9% and 10.9% (left to right), and 8.9% and 16.3% (right to left), respectively. These findings suggest that the transit dose-based IMRT verification method using EPID, in which the transit dose from patients is compared with the dose map calculated from the TPS, may be useful in verifying various errors including setup and/or patient positioning error, inhomogeneity and target motions.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.275-286
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• 2001

Purpose : To setup procedures of quality assurance (OA) for implementing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) clinically, report OA procedures peformed for one patient with prostate cancer. Materials and methods : $P^3IMRT$ (ADAC) and linear accelerator (Siemens) with multileaf collimator are used to implement IMRT. At first, the positional accuracy, reproducibility of MLC, and leaf transmission factor were evaluated. RTP commissioning was peformed again to consider small field effect. After RTP recommissioning, a test plan of a C-shaped PTV was made using 9 intensity modulated beams, and the calculated isocenter dose was compared with the measured one in solid water phantom. As a patient-specific IMRT QA, one patient with prostate cancer was planned using 6 beams of total 74 segmented fields. The same beams were used to recalculate dose in a solid water phantom. Dose of these beams were measured with a 0.015 cc micro-ionization chamber, a diode detector, films, and an array detector and compared with calculated one. Results : The positioning accuracy of MLC was about 1 mm, and the reproducibility was around 0.5 mm. For leaf transmission factor for 10 MV photon beams, interleaf leakage was measured $1.9\%$ and midleaf leakage $0.9\%$ relative to $10\times\;cm^2$ open filed. Penumbra measured with film, diode detector, microionization chamber, and conventional 0.125 cc chamber showed that $80\~20\%$ penumbra width measured with a 0.125 cc chamber was 2 mm larger than that of film, which means a 0.125 cc ionization chamber was unacceptable for measuring small field such like 0.5 cm beamlet. After RTP recommissioning, the discrepancy between the measured and calculated dose profile for a small field of $1\times1\;cm^2$ size was less than $2\%$. The isocenter dose of the test plan of C-shaped PTV was measured two times with micro-ionization chamber in solid phantom showed that the errors upto $12\%$ for individual beam, but total dose delivered were agreed with the calculated within $2\%$. The transverse dose distribution measured with EC-L film was agreed with the calculated one in general. The isocenter dose for the patient measured in solid phantom was agreed within $1.5\%$. On-axis dose profiles of each individual beam at the position of the central leaf measured with film and array detector were found that at out-of-the-field region, the calculated dose underestimates about $2\%$, at inside-the-field the measured one was agreed within $3\%$, except some position. Conclusion : It is necessary more tight quality control of MLC for IMRT relative to conventional large field treatment and to develop QA procedures to check intensity pattern more efficiently. At the conclusion, we did setup an appropriate QA procedures for IMRT by a series of verifications including the measurement of absolute dose at the isocenter with a micro-ionization chamber, film dosimetry for verifying intensity pattern, and another measurement with an array detector for comparing off-axis dose profile.