Course Director

Albert van der Kogel, Radiation Biologist, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center (NL)

Teachers

Wolfgang Dörr, Radiation Biologist, UK Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden (DE)
Vincent Grégoire, Radiation Oncologist, UCL Clinique Universitaire St Luc, Brussels (BE)
Michael Joiner, Radiation Biologist, Karmanos Cancer Institute Wayne State University, Detroit (USA)
Marianne Nordsmark, Clinical Oncologist, Aarhus University Hospital (DK)
Brad Wouters, Radiation Biologist, University of Maastricht GROW Research Institute (NL)

Course aim

The aim is to provide an introduction to radiation biology as applied to radiotherapy. It will cover the basic mechanisms of cell death/survival and the radiation response of tumours and normal tissues. Formulas of tissue tolerance will be explained. The biological basis for current approaches to the improvement of radiotherapy will be described including novel fractionation schemes, retreatment, conformal radiotherapy, modification of hypoxia and combined radiotherapy/chemotherapy.

Educational programme

A series of basic lectures introducing molecular and clinical radiobiology
Radiobiology and (retreatment) tolerance of normal tissues
Mechanisms and models or radiation cell killing
The linear-quadratic approach to fractionation
Molecular basis of radiation response
Alternative fractionation schedules in radiotherapy
Tumour hypoxia and the microenvironment
Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy
The volume and dose-rate effect in radiotherapy
Biological response modifiers and molecular approaches to therapy
Protons and other particles in radiotherapy

Target Group

The course is aimed at trainees in radiotherapy, radiation oncologists who recognise a lack of basic science or want to update their knowledge (i.e. for CME) and physicists who wish to familiarise themselves with this field. There will be frequent tutorials in small groups.

Working Schedule

The course starts on Sunday October 5 at 09:00, and will finish on Friday October 10 at noon.  To ensure the course starts on time, participants are encouraged to register on Saturday October 4 at the course venue from 17:00 to 19:00.  If this is not possible, they can register on Sunday morning before the start of the course.