Course Director
Michelle Leech, Radiation Technologist, TCD School of Radiation Therapy, Dublin (IE)Maria Broderick, Radiation Technologist, TCD School of Radiation Therapy, Dublin (IE)
Teachers
Mary Coffey, Radiation Technologist, TCD School of Radiation Therapy, Dublin (IE)
Charles Gilham, Radiation Oncologist, St. Luke’s Hospital, Dublin (IE)
Andreas Osztavics, Radiation Technologist, The Department of Radiation Oncology of the Medical University of Vienna and the AKH (AT)
David Sjöström, Physicist, Herlev University, Herlev (DK)
Guy Vandevelde, Radiation Technologist, Leuven (BE)
Pierre Thirion, Radiation Oncologist, Luke’s Hospital, Dublin (IE)
Guest lecturer
Donal Hollywood, Radiation Oncologist, St Luke’s Hospital, Dublin (IE)
Course aim
The course consists of didactic lectures, interactive sessions and practical treatment planning sessions. Introductory lectures will be given on each site and participants will then discuss, plan and review practical clinical scenarios. On the designated sites participants will complete a range of 3D plans for presentation and discussion. This will facilitate a greater depth of understanding of both the planning and evaluation processes. Participants will be asked to provide details of clinical treatment planning scenarios from their individual departments as part of the interactive approach.
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To provide continuing education in practical treatment planning, for designated sites, as an integral part of the pre-treatment preparation of patients.
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To learn the basic computer planning methodology, the principles of simulation and immobilization, the tools necessary for plan evaluation and quality assurance tests needed to assure the accuracy and reproducibility of the planning process.
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To give the participants the opportunity to gain practical experience of producing and evaluating treatment plans using a 3D computer planning system under the guidance of the faculty.
Target Group
The course is aimed primarily at radiotherapy technologists with no prior experience of treatment planning. However, junior physicists and trainee radiation oncologists with no experience in treatment planning would benefit from this basic course.
Educational programme
· Introduction to Treatment Planning Process
· Volume, dose and radiobiological considerations in Treatment Planning
· The process of treatment plan evaluation including the tools available
· Imaging and verification in planning process
· Practical Laboratory planning sessions on designated sites.