Session

Overview: Brachytherapy as specific modality in the field of radiotherapy, has a long-standing tradition and contributes essentially in the spectrum of radiation treatments for several tumor sites. Different from external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy sources are brought into close distance to treatment targets. Therefore, brachytherapy is often invasive and asking for unique kills of the involved team, radiation oncologists, physicists and radiation technologists. During recent years, international efforts have investigated the current educational situation in order to define possible needs for improving skills and availability of professionals interested in brachytherapy. The symposium will address lessons we have learned from surveys among radiation oncology residents in Europe and North America, form the current educational situation of our physicists and form the specific situation in Italy. Based on this knowledge several measures have been taken and programs have been initiated to assure and preserve our brachytherapy skills for the future.