State of the art of gel dosimeters for three-dimensional radiotherapy dose verification

Dose verification, as part of the radiotherapy QA chain, is a significant method to ensure the patients′ safety and efficacy of treatment. The increasing application of precision radiotherapy techniques in clinic has advanced the need of three-dimensional (3D) dose verification. Gel dosimeters, prevailing for its intrinsic 3D high-resolution measurement and good tissue equivalence, can serve as effective supplement to the clinical radiotherapy dosimetric system. This paper reviews the method ology, dose response mechanism, characterizations of the state-of-the-art gel dosimeters. Gel dosimeters, outstanding for 3D dose measurement, have a great potential to explore both for clinical application and academic research. Key words: Precision radiotherapy; 3D dose verification; Gel dosimeters