title: High conformality radiotherapy in Europe: thirty-one centres participating in the quality assurance programme of the EORTC prostate trial 22991.
abstract: Today, conformality in radiotherapy is at the centre of many investments in equipment and staffing. To estimate the current situation within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) conformal radiotherapy trial for prostate cancer, a technology questionnaire was designed to assess whether participating centres can comply with the required radiotherapy procedures of EORTC trial 22991, where a high dose is prescribed to the prostate. Questions covered various items of computed tomography, data acquisition, treatment planning, delivery and verification. All centres (n=31) replied to the questionnaire. All generate beam's eye views and dose volume histograms. All, but two, centres use digitally reconstructed radiographs to display images. The vast majority of the centres perform at least weekly treatment verification and half have access to individual in vivo dosimetry. The results of the questionnaire indicate that participating centres have access to the equipment and apply the procedures that are essential for conformal prostate radiotherapy. The technology questionnaire is the first step in the extensive quality assurance programme dedicated to this high-tech radiotherapy trial.
authors.affiliation: EORTC Data Centre, Radiotherapy Group 83 Avenue Mounier, bte 11, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium. fat@eortc.be
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ataman
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poortmans
authors.forename: J Bernard
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bernier
authors.forename: Jean-Yves
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Vassilis E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Kouloulias
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pierart
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolla
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011786:Quality Control; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires