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Journal of the ICRU 2007 7(2):131-134; doi:10.1093/jicru/ndm042
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© International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements 2007

8 ESTIMATION AND PRESENTATION OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE DELIVERED DOSE

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

8.1 THE INEVITABILITY OF UNCERTAINTY

Radiation therapy is inherently probabilistic. One cannot be certain as to whether a tumor will be controlled, or whether any given normal tissue will be damaged. These outcomes can be stated only in terms of probabilities. In addition, the application of radiation involves very many factors, almost all of which have some level of associated uncertainty. For example, there are uncertainties regarding the following:

  • the identification of the tumor and the designation of its histology and staging;
  • the spatial extent of the tumor and of organs at risk (OARs; images may be incorrectly interpreted, they may be distorted, and so forth);
  • for external-beam therapy, the immobilization and localization of the patient and of the tumor within the patient, and the effects of physiologic . . . [Full Text of this Article]

8.2 THE ESTIMATION OF UNCERTAINTY

8.3 THE PRESENTATION OF UNCERTAINTY

8.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CONSIDERATION AND REPORTING OF UNCERTAINTY


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