ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Sooner or later every medical physicist is involved with commissioning and beam modeling of a new linear accelerator (linac) and a new treatment planning system (TPS). In spite of all instructions and training offered by the vendors, at the time a new linac is being purchased and added to the present ones the outside help is not so complete. The physicist who has to perform the commissioning job may not even be the one who was trained for that. What we are missing is a good comprehensive set of information and instructions on how to do's. From shielding calculation verifications, surveys, to collecting the beam data, modeling, entering the data into the TPS, and verifications of the goodness of the data we need a lot of support and we don't have it. I will provide a step by step description of the required work with the results we are looking for. METHODS: Presentation of the shielding calculations, survey required, tools needed to perform them. Detailed beam data collections, scanning system needed, machine set of specs needed, applicator details needed. Importing beam data from the scanning system and beam calculations. Algorithms used in dose calculation, IMRT optimization, heterogeneity corrections presented to be understood before modeling the beam data. RESULTS: At the completion of this course the medical physicist will be able to commission a linear accelerator and a treatment planning system with confidence and very little help from the outside. CONCLUSIONS: This compendium of detailed instructions on commissioning a linear accelerator will provide good uidance to every physicist who will be involved with the installation and bringing into safe use for treatment of a new linear accelerator.
