Analysis of treatment planning time among systems and planners for intensity-modulated radiation therapy

Radiation oncology is a technologically advanced health care specialty in which numerous innovations, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), require significant manpower and resources. For 3 main disease sites (prostate, head and neck, and lung), the authors investigated IMRT planning time across the United States among commonly used treatment planning systems (TPS). Treatment planning time was investigated in different components of IMRT: data transfer, contouring, beam arrangements, optimization, dose calculation, and phantom plans. The results showed significant variability among the TPS depending on the functionality and efficiency of the TPS algorithm. This study provides a road map to quantify the manpower needed and the selection of proper tools for IMRT planning and could be a model for any health care task.