European Project BRAPHYQS

Abstract

Background. Quality assurance in radiotherapy and brachytherapy is extremely important because errors that may occur during treatment process can be fatal for the patient. European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has therefore founded BRAPHYQS, a special group that is responsible for the revision of quality assurance procedures of treatment performed in brachytherapy centers and for outlining common standards of work in European countries.

Conclusions. The project BRAPHYQS has the following aims: (1) to publish European recommendations for implementing QA/QC in European brachytherapy centers; (2) to set up a central dosimetry audit in European brachytherapy centers (this task will be delegated to ESTRO-EQUAL laboratory at the Institute Gustave Roussy in Paris); (3) to set up a central audit for the geometrical reconstruction of source positions with a special test phantom that will be available to each brachytherapy center. Hence, a series of »Baltas phantoms« will be elaborated and distributed to the brachytherapy centers in Europe; (4) to prepare a draft of booklet of QA/QC recommendations for testing the brachytherapy equipment and therapy planning systems.