# Radiotherapy treatment planning and QA software

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/treatment-planning-systems/  
OnCo record `treatment-planning-systems` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The software that calculates exactly how radiation beams should be shaped and checks the machine delivered it.

## Summary

Treatment planning systems (Varian Eclipse, Elekta Monaco, RaySearch RayStation, Philips Pinnacle, Brainlab Elements) compute dose from CT/MR images, optimise beam arrangements for IMRT/VMAT/protons, and export plans; independent QA vendors (Sun Nuclear, IBA Dosimetry, PTW, RadCalc) verify delivered dose. RayStation's multi-vendor support and machine-learning planning are notable; cloud and automated planning are the direction.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: standard-of-care
- Last checked: 2026-09-08
- Tags: supporting
- Principle: Monte Carlo or convolution dose engines plus inverse optimisation of fluence subject to organ-at-risk constraints; deliverable plans checked by phantom measurement or log-file analysis.
- Strengths: Mature, regulated software; Automation reduces planning time from days to hours
- Limitations: Vendor lock-in; Plan quality depends on planner and protocol; QA burden grows with adaptive RT

## Sources

- AAPM Task Group 53: quality assurance for clinical radiotherapy treatment planning (Medical Physics 1998): https://doi.org/10.1118/1.598373

## Connected records

- technologies: [Adaptive radiotherapy (online replanning)](https://onco.cc/technologies/adaptive-radiotherapy/), [AI auto-contouring and adaptive planning](https://onco.cc/technologies/auto-contouring-ai/), [CT (computed tomography)](https://onco.cc/technologies/ct/), [IMRT / IGRT (modern external beam)](https://onco.cc/technologies/imrt-igrt/), [In vivo dosimetry and patient-specific quality assurance](https://onco.cc/technologies/in-vivo-dosimetry/), [Knowledge-based and automated treatment planning](https://onco.cc/technologies/knowledge-based-planning/), [Linac, proton system and brachytherapy machine manufacturing](https://onco.cc/technologies/radiotherapy-equipment-manufacturing/), [MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/mr-linac/), [Oncology information and record-and-verify systems (ARIA, MOSAIQ)](https://onco.cc/technologies/oncology-information-systems/), [Proton therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/proton-therapy/), [Radiotherapy QA phantoms and dosimeters (Sun Nuclear, IBA Dosimetry, PTW)](https://onco.cc/technologies/radiotherapy-qa-phantoms-dosimeters/), [Remote afterloaders for HDR brachytherapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/brachytherapy-afterloaders/), [SBRT / SABR (stereotactic radiotherapy)](https://onco.cc/technologies/sbrt/), [Tumour control and normal tissue complication probability (TCP and NTCP)](https://onco.cc/technologies/tumour-control-probability-models/), [Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)](https://onco.cc/technologies/vmat/)
- fronts: [AI & Computation](https://onco.cc/fronts/ai-computation/), [Radiation Therapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/radiation/)
- companies: [Brainlab](https://onco.cc/companies/brainlab/), [Elekta](https://onco.cc/companies/elekta/), [PTW Freiburg](https://onco.cc/companies/ptw-freiburg/), [RaySearch Laboratories](https://onco.cc/companies/raysearch/), [Sun Nuclear (Mirion)](https://onco.cc/companies/sun-nuclear/), [Varian (Siemens Healthineers)](https://onco.cc/companies/varian/)
- key papers: [American Association of Physicists in Medicine Radiation Therapy Committee Task Group 53: quality assurance for clinical radiotherapy treatment planning](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-fraass-med-phys/)
- roadmaps: [Radiotherapy roadmap: X-rays → shaped beams → fewer fractions, particles and FLASH](https://onco.cc/roadmaps/radiation-roadmap/)
- terms: [Organs at risk and dose constraints](https://onco.cc/terms/organs-at-risk/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/treatment-planning-systems.json