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Title: SU-E-T-586: Optimal Determination of Tolerance Level for Radiation Dose Delivery Verification in An in Vivo Dosimetry System

Journal Article · · Medical Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.4924948· OSTI ID:22496299
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  1. North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, New Hyde Park, NY (United States)

Purpose: To statistically determine the optimal tolerance level in the verification of delivery dose compared to the planned dose in an in vivo dosimetry system in radiotherapy. Methods: The LANDAUER MicroSTARii dosimetry system with screened nanoDots (optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters) was used for in vivo dose measurements. Ideally, the measured dose should match with the planned dose and falls within a normal distribution. Any deviation from the normal distribution may be redeemed as a mismatch, therefore a potential sign of the dose misadministration. Randomly mis-positioned nanoDots can yield a continuum background distribution. A percentage difference of the measured dose to its corresponding planned dose (ΔD) can be used to analyze combined data sets for different patients. A model of a Gaussian plus a flat function was used to fit the ΔD distribution. Results: Total 434 nanoDot measurements for breast cancer patients were collected across a period of three months. The fit yields a Gaussian mean of 2.9% and a standard deviation (SD) of 5.3%. The observed shift of the mean from zero is attributed to the machine output bias and calibration of the dosimetry system. A pass interval of −2SD to +2SD was applied and a mismatch background was estimated to be 4.8%. With such a tolerance level, one can expect that 99.99% of patients should pass the verification and at most 0.011% might have a potential dose misadministration that may not be detected after 3 times of repeated measurements. After implementation, a number of new start breast cancer patients were monitored and the measured pass rate is consistent with the model prediction. Conclusion: It is feasible to implement an optimal tolerance level in order to maintain a low limit of potential dose misadministration while still to keep a relatively high pass rate in radiotherapy delivery verification.

OSTI ID:
22496299
Journal Information:
Medical Physics, Vol. 42, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2015 American Association of Physicists in Medicine; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-2405
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English