Auditing the quality of radiotherapy equipment improves the standard of clinical dosimetry

Experience gained during a pilot study under way since the second half of 1996 is summarized. About 80 therapeutic beams at 20 radiotherapy centre were evaluated in the study; a number of cases were found where mistakes in dosimetry had been made. Typical instances of such mistakes are described, their causes are analyzed and conclusions ensuing from the quality assessment are presented. The importance of auditing the quality of dosimetry for improving the standard of clinical dosimetry in radiotherapy centres is emphasized