Program Information
Planar Dose Pass Rate Inflation Due to the MapCHECK Measurement Uncertainty Function
D Bailey1*, J Spaans2 , L Kumaraswamy2 , M Podgorsak2 , (1) Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA, (2) Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
Presentations
SU-F-T-301 (Sunday, July 31, 2016) 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Room: Exhibit Hall
Purpose: To quantify the effect of the Measurement Uncertainty function on planar dosimetry pass rates, as analyzed with Sun Nuclear Corporation analytic software (“MapCHECK” or “SNC Patient”). This optional function is toggled on by default upon software installation, and automatically increases the user-defined dose percent difference (%Diff) tolerance for each planar dose comparison.
Methods: Dose planes from 109 IMRT fields and 40 VMAT arcs were measured with the MapCHECK 2 diode array, and compared to calculated planes from a commercial treatment planning system. Pass rates were calculated within the SNC analytic software using varying calculation parameters, including Measurement Uncertainty on and off. By varying the %Diff criterion for each dose comparison performed with Measurement Uncertainty turned off, an effective %Diff criterion was defined for each field/arc corresponding to the pass rate achieved with MapCHECK Uncertainty turned on.
Results: For 3%/3mm analysis, the Measurement Uncertainty function increases the user-defined %Diff by 0.8-1.1% average, depending on plan type and calculation technique, for an average pass rate increase of 1.0-3.5% (maximum +8.7%). For 2%, 2 mm analysis, the Measurement Uncertainty function increases the user-defined %Diff by 0.7-1.2% average, for an average pass rate increase of 3.5-8.1% (maximum +14.2%). The largest increases in pass rate are generally seen with poorly-matched planar dose comparisons; the MapCHECK Uncertainty effect is markedly smaller as pass rates approach 100%.
Conclusions: The Measurement Uncertainty function may substantially inflate planar dose comparison pass rates for typical IMRT and VMAT planes. The types of uncertainties incorporated into the function (and their associated quantitative estimates) as described in the software user’s manual may not accurately estimate realistic measurement uncertainty for the user’s measurement conditions. Pass rates listed in published reports or otherwise compared to the results of other users or vendors should clearly indicate whether the Measurement Uncertainty function is used.
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