Course Director
Ben Heijmen, Physicist, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam (NL)
Teachers
Alberto Bossi, Radiation Oncologist, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif (FR)
Ann Henry, Radiation Oncologist, St James Institute of Oncology, Leeds (GB)
Mischa Hoogeman, Physicist, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam (NL)
Trine Juhler-Nøttrup, Radiation Oncologist, University Hospital Herlev (DK)
Silvia Molinelli, Physicist, Fondazione CNAO, Pavia (IT)
Dag Rune Olsen, Physicist, DNR – Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo (NO)
Luis A. Pérez-Romasanta, Radiation Oncologist, Hospital de Ciudad Real (ES)
Course aim
For the lectures, the aims are:
1. to provide basic physics knowledge relevant to clinical radiotherapy
2. to provide overviews of imaging and volume concepts in radiotherapy
3. to provide introductions to modern dose delivery techniques, such as conformal therapy, IMRT, stereotactic treatment, IGRT, and brachytherapy
4. to discuss safety issues in lectures on induction of secondary tumors, radiation protection, and in-vivo dosimetry
Complimentary to the lectures, this course has clinical case discussions as an important component. The aim of these discussions is to enhance knowledge of, and insight in practical treatment planning issues.
Target Group
The course is primarily aimed at trainees in radiation oncology or radiation physics, and at radiation oncologists and physicists who would like to refresh part of their knowledge. The course is also suited for radiation technologists having an advanced training and experience in treatment planning and a strong interest in physics aspects of radiotherapy. For PhD students in radiation therapy or physics, this course can broaden their knowledge
Educational programme
I. Lectures on:
- Basics of 3DCRT
- IMRT - physics aspects
- IMRT - basics of clinical application
- Basics of stereotactic radiotherapy
- Basics of brachytherapy
- Volumes in external beam radiotherapy
- Imaging for GTV definition I
- Imaging for GTV definition II (for clinicians)
- CT for treatment preparation and planning
- IGRT - equipment for in-room imaging
- IGRT - tumor set-up correction strategies
- Radiobiology in the clinic
- Radiotherapy dose and induction of secondary tumors
- In-vivo dosimetry
- Principles of radiation therapy equipment (for clinicians)
- Basic radiation physics, I and II (for clinicians)
- Basic dose calculation principles (for clinicians)
- Calculation of dose distribution in TPS (for clinicians)
- Classification systems in oncology (for physicists)
- Reference dosimetry (for physicists)
- Non-reference dosimetry (for physicists)
- Basic dose plan algorithms (for physicists)
- Advanced dose plan algorithms (for physicists)
- Radiation protection (for physicists)
II. Clinical case discussions
The participants are invited to prepare treatment plans for four selected clinical cases, based on case descriptions and CT scans as provided prior to the course. During the course, the plans are discussed in small groups, guided by a clinician and physicist teacher.