An administrator is typically required to decide on the equipment that needs to be purchased for the radiation cancer center. There are different pieces that an administrator has to keep in mind while purchasing equipment for a radiation cancer center. The type of LINAC, treatment planning system that comes with the linear accelerator, the EMR system that will be in place for the center, and other supporting software and hardware that a radiation oncology department needs.
Choosing a LINAC that can be of effective use for the center is of utmost importance. It is the most expensive piece of equipment and there are many LINACS that can be found in the market at any given time. Depending on the pricing and the budget available, together with clinical use in mind, one needs to make a sound decision on the same. As physicists, we can be an important resource in helping the administrator make a judgment call on the kind of LINAC and other equipment that the center has to purchase to make it an efficient radiation cancer center. In addition, we can provide guidance on the purchasing of CT simulators, PET/CT, and HDR afterloaders.
The equipment needed for the commissioning process is typically required by every radiation cancer center for routine calibration and maintenance. Hence, the equipment necessary for this process will need to be purchased; however, some specialized equipment needed periodically can be rather expensive and may not be needed, provided that those resources are available. Due to the size of our group, and the many cancer centers we service, a wide array of testing equipment can be brought by us for use on a temporary basis, thereby allowing a significant cost savings. This includes inquipment for a secondary and independent checks. Some of the equipment we utlize are: Profiler, Winston-Lutz, Diodes, Isoalign, MapCheck, Ionization Chambers, Electrometers, etc.
