A.F.S.S.A.P.S. contribution to the enhancement of the safety and the quality of radiotherapy procedures

AFSSAPS, the French Health Products Safety Agency, has been confronted, in 2006 and 2007, as other health institutions, with two major accidents which have shaken French radiotherapy. Those accidents have highlighted difficulties met by this profession in a strong technologic innovation context of the used medical devices and deficit of medical physicists. This situation has led to an unprecedented mobilization of all involved authorities and health care professionals, within the framework of a 'Road-map' established by the minister of health. AFSSAPS has thus strongly committed itself in the security and quality aspects of medical devices used in the execution of radiotherapy acts. Every step of the concerned medical devices life cycle profited from this commitment. This work has also enabled the reinforcement of the collaboration and the synergy between AFSSAPS and ASN. (authors)