Contouring Administrator

Judith van Loon, Radiation Oncologist, MAASTRO Clinic, Maastricht (NL)

Course aim

Upon completion of the course the delegate:

1. can list the implications  of PET in radiation oncology
2. can address technical issues to implement PET in radiation treatment planning
3. has knowledge of the current evidence and state of the art of PET in radiation oncology
4. is able to incorporate PET into planning-CT, perform delineation and recognise pitfalls  

Target Group

The course is aiming at pairs of nuclear medicine physicians and radiation oncologists from the same hospital who want to learn about PET / CET in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning (RTP) in order to develop and/or start up local co-operation on PET/CT based RTP in their institution. The attendance is limited to 20 participants (10 groups of 2 persons).  

Educational programme

The course will include:

1. Lectures/slides available to participants before the course:
·          Basics of RTP for nuclear medicine physicians
·          Basics of PET for radiation oncologists

2. Hands-on workshops on:
·          Basic RTP in NSCLC and HNSCC
·          Advanced PET-based RTP eg. brain and prostate

3. Lectures will be given on:
·          Impact of PET in staging: stage migration (focus on NSCLC, lymphoma)
·          Requirements of PET acquisition and data processing for incorporation in staging/treatment planning: (re)positioning, gating
·          Technical issues of PET: filters, thresholds, image fusion, pitfalls
·          The use & added value of PET for RTP and treatment follow-up (including discussions on tracer development) for several tumor sites (Lung cancer, HNSCC, Brain Tumors, Malignant Lymphoma, Prostate cancer)

The instructors are available to discuss specific issues regarding these lectures upon request of the participants during the course.

4. Informative slides will be provided on the use of PET in selected tumor types: lymphoma, NSCLC, head and neck, cervical cancer, brain tumor, etc. and technical issues of PET.

5. Discussion of case reports provided and presented by the participants.