Guidelines highlighting the clinical implementation of surface imaging published by AAPM
A dedicated task group formed by the AAPM (American Association of Physicist in Medicine) issued a report with guidelines for the clinical implementation and use of surface imaging.
An AAPM task group was assigned to “provide technical guidelines for clinical indications of use for general positioning, breast deep-inspiration breath-hold (DIBH) treatment, and frameless stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Additionally, the task group was charged with providing commissioning and on-going quality assurance (QA) requirements for surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT) as part of a comprehensive QA program including risk assessment.”[1]
The group comprised researchers from various clinical institutes as well as representatives from all major vendors of surface tracking technology.
“The clinical use of surface imaging has increased dramatically with demonstrated utility for initial patient positioning, real-time motion monitoring, and beam gating in a variety of anatomical sites.” the report says.[1] Another study published recently also show that the implementation of SGRT can improve safety and quality in treatment rooms by preventing errors in its capacity as an independent system in the treatment room. The study also shows that a significant number of errors were predicted to have been preventable with the use of surface imaging.[2]
“The release of the report shows the interest to standardize workflows using surface imaging, which is an important milestone to establish the technology as standard of care in advanced radiation therapy. It has been in-depth and inspiring discussions with these experienced and dedicated SGRT users and authors. The outcome is a thorough and comprehensive report to be used as a guideline to ensure safe implementation of SGRT in clinics around the world” says Mattias Nilsing, PhD, Product Manager C-RAD, and participant in the task group.
AAPM is a scientific and professional organization with over 8,000 members, dedicated to ensuring accuracy, safety and quality in the use of radiation in medical procedures such as medical imaging and radiation therapy.
“Implementing innovative technology with the opportunity of enhancing clinical standards is a joint effort and requires a close cooperation of academia, professional organizations and industrial partners. The report also serves as another important milestone confirming our firm belief that surface tracking will be standard of care. I want to take the opportunity to thank all participants that contributed to establish this comprehensive report.” says Tim Thurn, CEO and President of C-RAD AB.
About C-RAD
C-RAD develops surface-guided imaging solutions for radiation therapy to allow highly accurate dose delivery to the tumor, and at the same time, to protect healthy tissue from unwanted exposure. Using high-speed 3D cameras combined with augmented reality, C-RAD supports the initial patient setup process and monitors the patient’s motion during treatment to ensure high confidence, an efficient workflow, and improved accuracy. C-RAD monitors the patient's motion without the use of tattoos or additional imaging dose, to deliver the highest level of patient safety and comfort.
C-RAD. Inspiring excellence in cancer treatment.
C-RAD AB is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm.
For more information on C-RAD, please visit http://www.c-rad.com
For further information:
Tim Thurn, CEO C-RAD AB, Phone +46-18-666930, Email [email protected]
[1] Al-Hallaq, HA, Cerviño, L, Gutierrez, AN, et al. AAPM task group report 302: Surface guided radiotherapy. Med. Phys. 2022; 00: 00- 00. https://doi.org/10.1002/mp.15532
[2] Al-Hallaq, HA, Batista, V, Kügele, M, et al. The role of surface-guided radiation therapy for improving patient safety. 2021 https://www.thegreenjournal.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0167-8140%2821%2906702-5