ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the position deviation of multi-leaf collimator (MLC) in volumetric modulated arc therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to verify a method of detecting the leaf position accuracy.Methods Thirty-two volumetric modulated arc plans of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were randomly selected.A clockwise arc with a gantry range of 181° to 179° and a counterclockwise arc with a gantry range of 179° to 181° were uscd for each plan.Each arc contained two leaf groups,groups A and B.By using the Argus software,the actual MLC leaf positions were extracted from the Dynalog files in the Varian Trilogy accelerator.The planed MLC leaf positions were compared with the actual positions,and the differences were calculated between them.Results The proportions of the leaf position errors within ± 2,± 1.5,± 1 and ± 0.5 mm were 99.99％,99.90％,99.07％ and 93.98％,respectively.The proportions of the leaf position errors within ± 1 mm were 98.08％,100％,98.97％ and 99.01％ for the first therapeutic arc (ARC1),second therapeutic arc (ARC2),A and B groups,respectively.The leaf position errors range of ARC1 and ARC2 were-2.95 to 2.99 and-0.22 to 0.23 mm (t =2.35,P ＜ 0.01).The leaf position errors range of leaf bank A and leaf bank B were-2.95 to 2.68 and-2.92 to 2.99 mm(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions During the volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy,the leaf positions deviation are in control.The Dynalog files can be used as an effective way to analysis the leafposition errors.