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Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Author Spotlight: Improving Radiation Therapy Access with Radiation Planning Assistant
Published on: October 6, 2023
Unified risk analysis in radiation therapy
Daniel Lohmann1, Maya Shariff1, Philipp Schubert1
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Universitätsstraße 27, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN (CCC ER-EMN), Erlangen, Germany.
Purpose:
The increasing complexity of new treatment methods as well as the Information Technology (IT) infrastructure within radiotherapy require new methods for risk analysis. This work presents a methodology on how to model the treatment process of radiotherapy in different levels. This subdivision makes it possible to perform workflow-specific risk analysis and to assess the impact of IT risks on the overall treatment workflow.
Methods:
A Unified Modeling Language (UML) activity diagram is used to model the workflows. The subdivision of the workflows into different levels is done with the help of swim lanes. The model created in this way is exported in an xml-compatible format and stored in a database with the help of a Python program.
Results:
Based on an existing risk analysis, the workflows CT Appointment, Glioblastoma Multiforme, and Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) were modeled in detail. Part of the analysis are automatically generated workflow-specific risk matrices including risks of medical devices incorporated into a specific workflow. In addition, SQL queries allow to quickly retrieve e.g., the details of the medical device network installed in a department.
Conclusion:
Activity diagrams of UML can be used to model workflows in radiotherapy. Through this, a connection between the different levels of the entire workflow can be established and workflow-specific risk analysis is possible.
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