ABSTRACT

Clinical implementation of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) needs all the

work required to implement 3D conformal radiotherapy (CFRT) and more (see Chapter 39

and Chapter 40). Consideration must be given to important issues such as equipment and

space requirements, time and personnel requirements, additional dosimetry verification and

treatment quality assurance (QA), staff training and patient education and changes in treat-

ment scheduling. It is essential for a clinic to designate an implementation team to think

through the implications in advance, and to periodically update procedures as lessons are

learned. Bringing the modality to the clinic is only the first step. Much effort is needed to

keep it running smoothly and to keep pace with upgrades and future developments in IMRT

technology. To achieve the full benefit from IMRT, various resources must be in place, and all

persons involved in IMRT, not only physicists but also physicians and other personnel such as

radiographers, service engineers and administrators, must be properly trained. Furthermore,

IMRT is an integrated system. Every single technical/physical component and treatment step

must be considered carefully. In this chapter, a brief description is provided, which details the

requirements for clinical implementation and guidelines on IMRT treatments.