ABSTRACT
To ensure measurement accuracy, it is necessary to generate a comprehensive quality assurance (QA) program. “Ÿe ‘quality’ of radiation oncology can be de£ned as the totality of features or characteristics of the radiation oncology service that bear on its ability to satisfy the stated or implied goal of e¢ective patient care” (Kutcher et al. 1994, p. 585). Ÿe
comprehensive QA program is used to maintain and monitor the performance characteristics of the treatment system, which includes, but is not limited to, the treatment machine, imaging technology, and the planning system. If necessary, action should be taken to correct any unacceptable deviations from the baseline values acquired during acceptance testing and commissioning. Deviation from the baseline values could compromise patient treatment, resulting in suboptimal treatment response and undesirable complication e¢ects. Ÿe quality of radiation oncology is therefore directly a¢ected by the acceptance testing and commissioning process. Ÿe signi£- cance of the acceptance testing and commissioning process is well-acknowledged, and the corresponding procedures have been published in the literature (Nath et al. 1994; Svensson et al. 1984; Das et al. 2008).
