Validation of treatment planning system data: variation in the modelling of three 6 MV beams for extreme rectangular fields

The validation of photon beam data on the Helax-TMS treatment planning system at the Northern Centre for Cancer Treatment takes the form of profile and depth dose comparisons against measured data for square fields. With a view to using Helax-TMS to plan fixed source-to-surface distance spine fields, validation of extreme rectangular fields was undertaken, based on guidelines published by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Radiation Therapy Committee (Task Group report 53). The accuracy with which the Helax-TMS-generated profiles matched those measured varied between treatment machines. For three 6 MV beams in the department, two beams showed agreement to within 2% in the central portion of the field, while the third beam demonstrated differences of up to 4.4% in this region. The disparities were attributed to the modelling of the primary dose for each beam by Helax-TMS. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.