Methodology, results and experience of independent brachytherapy plan verifications based on DICOM standard

The use of a high dose rate source together with an afterloading treatment delivery in brachytherapy plans allows for dose modulation minimizing dose to staff. An independent verification of the exported data to the treatment station is required by local regulations (being also a widely accepted recommendation on the international literature2). We have developed a methodology under home brew code to import DICOM treatment data onto an Excel spreadsheet that is able to calculate dose on given reference points using the TG-43 formalism of the AAPM3-5. It employs analytic fits of anisotropy factor and radial dose function for different sources6-8. The end point implementations we present here allow merging in one step an independent verification and a treatment printout. The use of DICOM standard makes our code versatile and provides greater compatibility with respect to current treatment planning systems. (Author)