Management of electron accelerators for radiotherapy. Data as of 31 December 1984 [La gestione di acceleratori di elettroni per radioterapia. Dati aggiornati al 31 dicembre 1984.]

Several italian radiotherapeutic centers have supplied the data analysed, regarding problems connected with the management of electron accelerators in the years 1982-1983-1984. The data concern 27 out of the 35 accelerators settled in Italy. The average cost of purchase has proved to be of 940 M pounds with an expense of annual allowance of 94 M pounds. We have then analysed the incidences of the allowance of the purchase expenditure of the machine (23%), the allowance of the expenses for the construction of the bunker (22%), the expenses of maintenance of the machine (5%), the cost of the staff (48%) and the cost of the power supply (2%) on the management costs (about pounds 820.000 per each handled patient). The duration of the various phases of the machinery installment, from the purchase to the beginning of the treatment, the charge of work supported in the three considered years, the daily use of the machinery and the problems deriving from days of time out of services due to failures or to periodical maintenance have then been studied. The analysis of the average values of the parameters studied and of the range of their variability allows us to find out the sector in which it is possible, also at present, to intervene in order to ameliorate the employment of a linear accelerator, regarding the costs and the performance.