Redefining radiotherapy QA: meeting the needs of modern treatment workflows

At a recent quality assurance symposium, radiotherapy experts squared off over a deceptively simple question: is testing each patient's cancer treatment plan on a phantom device before therapy still necessary? Victor Hernandez, from a Spanish hospital, argued no — if treatment planning is standardized and software-verified correctly, you don't need measurements. Dirk Verellen, from Belgium, disagreed, saying that unexpected errors inevitably slip through, and pre-treatment checks remain a crucial safety net. They agreed on one thing: as artificial intelligence and automation accelerate radiotherapy workflows, the profession needs to rethink how it ensures patient safety. But for now, Verellen cautioned, hold onto the old procedures until the new ones prove themselves. Physics World reports.

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