[From bunker construction to patient treatment: quality controls applied to modern radiotherapy techniques]

Abstract

Installation and use of a new radiotherapy device require an adequate quality and safety policy. The process leading to the commissioning of an accelerator following the construction of a bunker includes, among other tasks, the installation of the accelerator, the verification of compliance with the specifications, the signature of the acceptance specification as well as the process of characterization and modeling of the accelerator before its clinical use. The emergence of modern radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity modulated conformational radiotherapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, has resulted in more complex quality controls. The purpose of this article is to explain the different stages of the implementation of innovative radiotherapy techniques and to specify their features.

Keywords: Contrôle qualité; Installation accélérateur linéaire; Intensity-modulated radiation therapy; Linear accelerator installation; Quality control; Radiothérapie conformationnelle avec modulation d’intensité; Radiothérapie en conditions stéréotaxiques; Stereotactic radiotherapy.