Programme

Overview: Recently, substantial interest in proton arc therapy, the proton therapy (PT) analogon to VMAT, has grown and lead to substantial translational research progress. Initially, the proton arc concept may seem somewhat counter-intuitive to the main PT principles, where the conventional treatment delivery can be performed with a single or few beams minimizing the patient's integral dose. However, with the recent development of novel planning optimization algorithms, new delivery mechanisms, and the compact size proton gantry, the concept is step-by-step brought into reality. In this session, an overview of the current status will be provided – analyzing the pros and cons as well as the challenges for broad clinical implementation. Also, a summary from the 2022 ESTRO physics workshop on this topic will be included.

Overview: Novel digital technologies may provide a new way of welcoming patients throughout their radiation therapy treatment. Several studies have found Radiation Therapist (RTT)-led monitoring of PROs is feasible, safe and improves patient experiences. We will review some of the latest innovations in the communication and education space – including both technical and theoretical advances – and discuss practical ways that they can be applied by everyday practitioners to improve education and awareness of radiation therapy in their own contexts.

Overview: The better understanding of tumor biology has led to the development of tumor targeted radiosensitization strategies. The scientific rational underlining these undertakings is based on the differences in how tumor and normal tissues recover from radiotherapy and exploit tumor specific vulnerabilities by combining radiotherapy with specific agents designed to increase radiation response mainly or solely in tumors. Often integrating novel molecular targeted agents, innovative RT combination proposals are manyfold. Despite successful proof of concept studies, applications in the clinic do however lag behind, prompting a critical assessment of the tumor-targeted radiosensitization concept. Opportunities and challenges will be discussed.

Overview: Although particle therapy (PT) is usually considered as the minority in the RT society, the research activities in PT are always sparkling and dynamic. With the joint efforts among the key PT centres in EU and worldwide, the important achievements from RAPTOR consortium will be updated foremost. First, the challenges and solutions for online adaptive PT will be discussed from all aspects of the entire workflow. Then, towards intra-fractional motion, the practical solution and outstanding technical gaps will be presented with a particular rising focus on the longitudinal motion effects. Next, the potential of AI for solving these long-standing PT problems will be elucidated, and attendant challenges on model validation and clinical implementation will be emphasised. Finally, an overview of proton FLASH will be given from aspects of technical realisation, dosimetry, radiobiology and treatment planning.

Overview: The revolution of the metaverse has been applied in different areas, such as education and healthcare. New environments supported by technologies, such as virtual reality, mixed and extended reality, and artificial intelligence, can significantly impact clinical practice. Several tools and techniques are being explored and becoming feasible in radiotherapy practice, particularly in patient education. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the utilization of these applications in the educational training of students. This symposium highlights some approaches to virtual reality in the radiotherapy context with key stakeholders' perceptions from specific settings (e.g., paediatric care, gynaecology) and future opportunities.