VERIDOS: a new tool for quality assurance for intensity modulated radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND

The use of intensity modulated radiation fields needs an extended quality assurance concept. This consists of a linac related part and a case related part. Case related means the verification of an individual treatment plan, optimized on a CT data set of an individual patient and prepared for the treatment of this patient. This part of the quality assurance work is usually time consuming, delivers only partially quantitative results and is uncomfortable without additional help. It will be shown in this paper how the software VERIDOS will improve the optimization of the case related part of the quality assurance work.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The main function of the software is the quantitative comparison of the calculated dose distribution from the treatment planning software with the measured dose distribution of an irradiated phantom. Several additional functions will be explained. Two self-developed phantoms made of RW3 (solid water) and GAFCHROMIC films or Kodak EDR2 films for the measurement of the dose distributions were used. VERIDOS was tested with the treatment planning systems Helay-TMS and Brainscan.

RESULTS

VERIDOS is a suitable tool for the import of calculated dose matrices from the treatment planning systems Helax-TMS and Brainscan and of measured dose matrices exported from the dosimetry software Mephysto (PTW). The import from other treatment planning systems and scanning software applications for film dosimetry is generally possible. In such case the import function has to be adapted to the special header of the import matrix. All other functions of this software tool like normalization (automatically, manually), working with corrections (ground substraction, factors), overlay/comparison of dose distributions, difference matrix, cutting function (profiles) and export functions work reliable.

CONCLUSIONS

VERIDOS improves the optimization of the case related part of the quality assurance work for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The diverse functions of the software offer the radiation physicist a wide base to verify the IMRT plan independent from the mode of its delivery (compensator technology or MLC technology).