9th International Conference on 3D Radiation Dosimetry

Abstract

IC3DDose 2016 - 9th International Conference on 3D Radiation DosimetryPrefaceIt was a great pleasure to welcome participants to IC3DDose 2016, the 9th International Conference on 3D Radiation Dosimetry, held from 7–10 November 2016 in Galveston, Texas.The series of conferences has evolved considerably during its history. At the first conference, DOSGEL’99, the discussion centered around gel dosimetry. Held in Lexington, Kentucky in 1999, it was timed to coincide with the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. It was my honour to organize that first conference, and it was once again my honour to organize the 9th conference in the series now known as IC3DDose which was held in Galveston, Texas.As was the case with recent IC3DDose conferences, the topic has broadened considerably beyond gel dosimetry. Not only have newer 3D volumetric dosimeters appeared on the scene, but novel electronic dosimetry systems and software that generate quasi-3D dose information have also. These changes have tracked advances in radiation oncology as techniques such as IMRT, VMAT, and IGRT have become almost ubiquitous. At the same time, dynamic treatments including gating and tracking now enjoy widespread use. Novel treatment technologies have appeared with perhaps the most disruptive being combined MR imaging-treatment units such as the ViewRay MR-cobalt unit and the Elekta/Philips MR-Linac.The potential benefits offered by 3D dosimetry were explored, compared and evaluated during IC3DDose 2016. Novel and improved readout techniques, some of which take advantage of the contemporary treatment environment and new QA systems and procedures, as well as other aspects of clinical dosimetry were well represented in the program.Over the past several years, the importance of safety in radiation therapy has been highlighted. The benefits of 3D dosimetry in contributing to safe and accurate treatments cannot be overstated. The implementation of new dosimetry procedures also requires careful attention to safety, accuracy and thorough validation. Therefore, the aims of IC3DDose 2016 were similar to those from previous conferences:• to enhance the quality and accuracy of radiation therapy treatment through improved clinical dosimetry;• to investigate and understand the dosimetric challenges of modern radiation treatment techniques;• to provide a forum to discuss the latest research and developments in 3D and advanced radiation dosimetry; and,• to energize and diversify dosimetry research and clinical practice by encouraging interaction and synergy among advanced, 3D and semi-3D dosimetry techniques.IC3DDose 2016 was a stimulating and exciting conference and the program included substantial contributions to scientific progress in the field.Thanks are offered to those who helped make the conference possible. The Scientific Committee, led by Sam Beddar, conducted thorough peer reviews of submitted papers in a timely manner and made valuable and thoughtful suggestions for improvements. The Committee also contributed to the planning of the meeting and to the organization of the program. The distinguished invited speakers who agreed to present are thanked for the extra work they performed to design and prepare educational and timely talks. My colleagues at MD Anderson Cancer Center are also thanked for their contributions to the planning of the meeting, managing the logistics, and generally helping to make sure that the conference was a success.Geoff IbbottMD Anderson Cancer CenterINTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEESam Beddar (Chair) (USA)Claus Andersen (Sweden)Sven Back (Sweden)Clive Baldock (Conference Proceedings Editor) (Australia)Crister Ceberg (Sweden)Yves de Deene (Australia)Simon Doran (United Kingdom)Anna Karlsson Hauer (Sweden)Andrew Jirasek (Canada)Kevin Jordan (Canada)Martin Lepage (Canada)Daniel Low (USA)Mark Oldham (USA)John Schreiner (Canada)Cheng-Shie Wuu (USA)LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEEGeoffrey Ibbott (Chair)Dana GarrisonKayla WhiteHannah LeeYvonne RoedMitchell CarrollSam Beddar