QA of TPS: QA of a treatment planning system is very complex and tedious.

There may
be several institutions that have no formal process in place. Are you familiar with the
process at your institution, if there is one? If so, does the physicist or dosimetrist
perform this QA? What are some of the tests they perform?

Prepare a two to three paragraph summary about TPS QA, the importance, who
performs it (or who can perform it), how often it is performed (or could be performed)
and why.

QA of TPS is a critical component of ensuring the safety and effectiveness of radiation

therapy in cancer treatment. TPS QA involves a series of checks and tests to verify the
accuracy and reliability of the system's calculations and dose delivery plans. After each plan
is complete the plan is run through a second check; mobius. This process is essential
because any errors in the treatment planning can lead to incorrect radiation doses being
administered to patients, potentially causing harm. In our brachy practice the physicist
also makes sure simple plans and a few patient plans that we use for constancy checks all
have the same dose results as before, and verifies that the TG-43 data in the TPS has not
changed.
The responsibility for TPS QA falls on two medical physicists in our department. The
frequency of TPS QA varies but is often performed yearly or any time there is an upgrade.
Upgrades will prompt immediate end-to-end testing, which involves the entire process
from treatment planning to delivery on the linear accelerator. Routine QA is essential to
catch any issues promptly and ensure patient safety.