Project R-6829

Dose Verification of basic and advanced radiotherapy techniques in Belgium (Research)

Past incidents in radiotherapy centers both in Belgium and in the surrounding countries have shown the need for an extensive quality control audit program in radiotherapy (RT). In Belgium all Belgian radiotherapy departments participated in the BELdART dosimetry audit for static fields over a period of 3 years (2009 - 2011). The following step, Beldart-2, was to include in the audit Intensity Modulated RT (IMRT), Arc therapy and Tomotherapy for prostate cases in a homogenous phantom (easycube phantom - Euromechanics Medical gmbh, Nürnberg, Germany) and was open between September 2013 and June 2016. The 3rd step will focus on Stereotaxy, so treatment of small lesions using a few fractions and high doses. In Beldart 2 we used a combination of Electron Paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurement using L-alpha-Alanine and film dosimetry using EBT3 gafchromic films (Ashland) to measurements in quite large fields. For Beldart3 the knowledge developed in Beldart 2 will be extended to heterogeneous phantom and small fields/high doses. In a first series of audits, the plans that will be investigated are Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) for the head. We will place alanine and films inside a head phantom and send it to the different clinics. The second series will be dedicated to Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) in the lung region. For those, a phantom will be created that will be representative of a thorax and alanine and films detectors will be placed in the phantom to be sent to the different centers. For the 2 series, the end-to-end tests will be accompanied by basic tests in a water phantom.

01 January 2016 - 31 December 2024