Overview on the dosimetric uncertainty analysis for photon-emitting brachytherapy sources, in the light of the AAPM Task Group No 138 and GEC-ESTRO report

In 2011, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie-European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (GEC-ESTRO) published a report pertaining to uncertainties in brachytherapy single-source dosimetry preceding clinical use. The International Organization for Standardization's Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement and Technical Note 1297 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology are taken as reference standards for uncertainty formalism. Uncertainties involved in measurements or Monte Carlo methods to estimate brachytherapy dose distributions are provided with discussion of the components intrinsic to the overall dosimetric assessment. The uncertainty propagation from the primary calibration standard through transfer to the clinic for air-kerma strength is given with uncertainties in each of the brachytherapy dosimetry parameters of the AAPM TG-43 dose-calculation formalism. For low-energy and high-energy brachytherapy sources of low dose-rate and high dose-rate, a combined dosimetric uncertainty <5% (k=1) is estimated, which is consistent with prior literature estimates. Recommendations are provided for clinical medical physicists, dosimetry investigators, and manufacturers of brachytherapy sources and treatment planning systems. These recommendations reflect the guidance of the AAPM and GEC-ESTRO for their members, and may also be used as guidance to manufacturers and regulatory agencies in developing good manufacturing practices for conventional brachytherapy sources used in routine clinical treatments.