title: Quality assurance for image-guided radiation therapy utilizing CT-based technologies: a report of the AAPM TG-179.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Commercial CT-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) systems allow widespread management of geometric variations in patient setup and internal organ motion. This document provides consensus recommendations for quality assurance protocols that ensure patient safety and patient treatment fidelity for such systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  The AAPM TG-179 reviews clinical implementation and quality assurance aspects for commercially available CT-based IGRT, each with their unique capabilities and underlying physics. The systems described are kilovolt and megavolt cone-beam CT, fan-beam MVCT, and CT-on-rails. A summary of the literature describing current clinical usage is also provided.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This report proposes a generic quality assurance program for CT-based IGRT systems in an effort to provide a vendor-independent program for clinical users. Published data from long-term, repeated quality control tests form the basis of the proposed test frequencies and tolerances.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A program for quality control of CT-based image-guidance systems has been produced, with focus on geometry, image quality, image dose, system operation, and safety. Agreement and clarification with respect to reports from the AAPM TG-101, TG-104, TG-142, and TG-148 has been addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jean.pierre.bissonnette@rmp.uhn.on.ca
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bissonnette
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Balter
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Katja M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Langen
authors.forename: D Michael
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lovelock
authors.forename: Moyed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miften
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moseley
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pouliot
authors.forename: Jan-Jakob
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Sonke
authors.forename: Sua
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoo
mesh_terms: D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D061089:Radiotherapy, Image-Guided / Q000592:standards*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States