Uncertainties in External Beam Radiation Therapy

This book was developed for the AAPM 2011 Summer School in Burnaby, British Columbia. The focus is on understanding the potential sources of dosimetric uncertainties in radiotherapy; evaluating the impact of these uncertainties on the accuracy and conformity of dose delivered to patients; understanding strategies for mitigating these uncertainties; and understanding the impact of these uncertainties on QA/QM. Summer School Program objectives are to provide in-depth understanding of sources of uncertainties in external beam radiotherapy planning and delivery; practical guidance in assessing the overall uncertainty of delivered dose to patients treated with different technologies; practical guidance on mitigating sources of uncertainties and strategies for dealing with residual uncertainties; and to impress upon the fact that ""What You See Is Not What You Get (WYSINWYG)"" and how to deal with it on patient-by-patient basis.