Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service Receives Further Funding

President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) A/Prof Chris Milross has welcomed the Commonwealth Government commitment to further funding for the Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service.
The Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service provides independent dosimetric auditing for equipment and patient doses.
“Radiation therapy is an absolutely essential component of cancer care in Australia,” A/Prof Milross said.
“It is involved in around 40 per cent of cancer cures and in vast numbers of incurable patients it can improve the quality of remaining life by treating symptoms such as pain.
“Radiation therapy is a safe, effective and sophisticated treatment for cancer, it involves the controlled use of radiation to precisely target the cancer cells.
“However, there are a number of risks in the radiation therapy environment which can lead to dosage incidents. “These include the increasing number of treatment centres and delivery machines, the increasing complexity of machines and treatment options, and physical isolation of a number of regional facilities.
“Independent dosimetric auditing is international best practice for ensuring that radiation oncology services are safe, effective and are supported by appropriate infrastructure."
The Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service was officially launched in February 2011 and is a joint initiative between the Department of Health and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency. The service provides specialists with independent checks for equipment and patient doses and ensures a national approach to the quality of radiotherapy treatments