title: The use of customized spreadsheets in radiation therapy.
abstract: A number of radiation-therapy-related uses based on a commercially available spreadsheet program have been developed at our facility. The graphics and display capabilities inherent in these spreadsheet programs allow for concise visual results. The spreadsheets are used as an independent check for several types of radiation therapy dose calculations. External beam--a spreadsheet will verify the monitor units (MU) or time required to deliver a prescribed dose to a point on an isodose line as calculated by a commercial treatment planning system. Calibration--spreadsheet programs have been developed to perform the calculations necessary for the output calibration of cobalt and high-energy photon and electron beams according to the TG-21 protocol. The user must indicate which beam, electrometer, chamber, phantom material, temperature, pressure and depth of measurement that apply. Radiosurgery--the MU per arc is calculated based on the following: the average depth per arc as obtained from a commercial radiosurgery program, the collimator size, and the prescription dose. TBI--The patient's width is entered into the spreadsheet program, which then calculates the MU needed to deliver a prescribed dose to the midline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Balog
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Sibata
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Podgorsak
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D008961:Models, Structural; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation / Q000379:methods*