The paper will then be published in the scientific journals Radiation Oncology and Medical Physics. Hendee says his presentation at the safety meeting will serve as the basis for the paper. He also plans to recommend that AAPM setup a group of experienced medical physicists to work with vendors on early warning systems.

The organization also looks forward to working with the regulatory body on enhancing patient safety.


“The FDA is under a lot of pressure from Congress because when congressmen read The New York Times, they start beating up on the FDA,” says Hendee. “We’d like to partner with the FDA, in whatever the FDA chooses to do, to represent the best interests of the patients and the best interests of the professionals and so it’s not just a response to congressional pressure.”

Organizations like ASTRO and MITA are also adamant about ensuring that patients are safe while receiving the most cutting-edge treatments.

“Innovations in radiation therapy have made the devices and the treatment pathways more safe and effective,” says MITA’s Fisher. “We are happy to continue working with the FDA to demonstrate that.”

In the midst of conversations about safety, additional features and protocols are sure to ripple through the industry in the coming months.

“I see a really strong commitment from the clinical, the regulatory and the manufacturing side to get this right,” says Elekta’s Prosser.

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