When implementing new brachytherapy sources and image-guided techniques into clinical practice, rigorous quality assurance and dosimetry is needed to guarantee the safe use of this nuclear technology and to improve outcomes.  National guidelines for brachytherapy differ widely across the world; therefore, a harmonized approach is needed. High dose rate brachytherapy is an advanced technology that involves complex dose prescription, optimization, recording and reporting.  

 

The target audience include medical physicists involved in clinical brachytherapy service in the radiotherapy department. Participants shall have clinical experience and a basic background in dosimetry and quality control in radiotherapy. A 5-minute presentation is expected from each participant/hospital of their institutional procedures (QA and clinical workflow of a gynaecological patient using High Dose Rate Brachytheapy).

 

Topics:

• Introduction to the physics of brachytherapy
• Description of existing brachytherapy sources
• Source strength determination  
• Dose calculation formalisms and uncertainties
• The brachytherapy processes for Level-2 (‘2D’) and Level-3 (‘3D’)
• Imaging in brachytherapy (X-ray, C-arm, US, CT, MRI)
• Applicator selection, reconstruction, commissioning in various imaging modalities
• Brachytherapy dose prescription, optimization, and reporting 
• Medical physics aspects of quality management, quality assurance and auditing methodologies  in the clinic 
• Practical hands-on quality assurance and dosimetry using a High-Dose-Rate afterloader in a clinical setting

Speakers:
R. HUDEJ*, Institue of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia

Grants: A limited number of grants are available to support the attendance of selected participants, with priority given to participants from developing countries. There is no registration fee.