ASTRO Publishes Recommendations for Documenting IMRT Treatments
July 27, 2009
The American Society of Radiation Oncology published its recommendations on documenting intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatments recently, citing the current lack of adequate guidelines.
“Despite the widespread use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for approximately a decade, a lack of adequate guidelines for documenting these treatments persists,” stated the ASTRO IMRT Documentation Group led by Timothy Holmes, Ph.D.
The guidelines were published in the July 16, 2009, Red Journal, titled “American Society of Radiation Oncology Recommendations for Documenting Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Treatments.”
It is necessary to properly document IMRT treatments to accurately reconstruct prior treatments for patients who present with a marginal recurrence, the group noted. “This is especially crucial when the follow-up care is managed at a second treatment facility not involved in the initial IMRT treatment.”
ASTRO formed a work group within the American ASTRO Radiation Physics Committee to develop a set of recommendations for documenting IMRT treatments. The document also provides image-guidance procedures and example forms. The document can be accessed by members on the ASTRO site at www.astro.org, or in the Red Journal.
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