TY - JOUR
T1 - Quality and Safety Considerations in Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
T2 - An ASTRO Safety White Paper Update
AU - Moran, Jean M.
AU - Bazan, Jose G.
AU - Dawes, Samantha L.
AU - Kujundzic, Ksenija
AU - Napolitano, Brian
AU - Redmond, Kristin J.
AU - Xiao, Ying
AU - Yamada, Yoshiya
AU - Burmeister, Jay
N1 - Funding Information:
Sources of support: This work was funded by the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Society for Radiation Oncology
PY - 2023/5/1
Y1 - 2023/5/1
N2 - Purpose: This updated report on intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is part of a series of consensus-based white papers previously published by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) addressing patient safety. Since the first white papers were published, IMRT went from widespread use to now being the main delivery technique for many treatment sites. IMRT enables higher radiation doses to be delivered to more precise targets while minimizing the dose to uninvolved normal tissue. Due to the associated complexity, IMRT requires additional planning and safety checks before treatment begins and, therefore, quality and safety considerations for this technique remain important areas of focus. Methods and Materials: ASTRO convened an interdisciplinary task force to assess the original IMRT white paper and update content where appropriate. Recommendations were created using a consensus-building methodology, and task force members indicated their level of agreement based on a 5-point Likert scale, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” A prespecified threshold of ≥75% of raters who select “strongly agree” or “agree” indicated consensus. Conclusions: This IMRT white paper primarily focuses on quality and safety processes in planning and delivery. Building on the prior version, this consensus paper incorporates revised and new guidance documents and technology updates. IMRT requires an interdisciplinary team-based approach, staffed by appropriately trained individuals as well as significant personnel resources, specialized technology, and implementation time. A comprehensive quality assurance program must be developed, using established guidance, to ensure IMRT is performed in a safe and effective manner. Patient safety in the delivery of IMRT is everyone's responsibility, and professional organizations, regulators, vendors, and end-users must work together to ensure the highest levels of safety.
AB - Purpose: This updated report on intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is part of a series of consensus-based white papers previously published by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) addressing patient safety. Since the first white papers were published, IMRT went from widespread use to now being the main delivery technique for many treatment sites. IMRT enables higher radiation doses to be delivered to more precise targets while minimizing the dose to uninvolved normal tissue. Due to the associated complexity, IMRT requires additional planning and safety checks before treatment begins and, therefore, quality and safety considerations for this technique remain important areas of focus. Methods and Materials: ASTRO convened an interdisciplinary task force to assess the original IMRT white paper and update content where appropriate. Recommendations were created using a consensus-building methodology, and task force members indicated their level of agreement based on a 5-point Likert scale, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” A prespecified threshold of ≥75% of raters who select “strongly agree” or “agree” indicated consensus. Conclusions: This IMRT white paper primarily focuses on quality and safety processes in planning and delivery. Building on the prior version, this consensus paper incorporates revised and new guidance documents and technology updates. IMRT requires an interdisciplinary team-based approach, staffed by appropriately trained individuals as well as significant personnel resources, specialized technology, and implementation time. A comprehensive quality assurance program must be developed, using established guidance, to ensure IMRT is performed in a safe and effective manner. Patient safety in the delivery of IMRT is everyone's responsibility, and professional organizations, regulators, vendors, and end-users must work together to ensure the highest levels of safety.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.prro.2022.11.006
DO - 10.1016/j.prro.2022.11.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 36710210
AN - SCOPUS:85147278706
SN - 1879-8500
VL - 13
SP - 203
EP - 216
JO - Practical Radiation Oncology
JF - Practical Radiation Oncology
IS - 3
ER -