Course Director

Philip Poortmans, Radiation Oncologist, University of Antwerp, Antwerp (BE)

Teachers

Sandra Hol, Radiotherapy Technologist,, Instituut Verbeeten, Tilburg (NL)

Tibor Major, Medical Physicist, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest (HU)

Icro Meattini, Radiation Oncologist, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence (IT)

Vratislav Strnad, Radiation Oncologist, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, (DE)

Local Organizer

Vassilis Kouloulias, Radiation Oncologist, National Technical University of Athens

BACKGROUND

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is rightfully becoming increasingly popular as a standard treatment option for early stage breast cancer. Numerous patients participated in several prospective randomised clinical trials using a wide variety of techniques. We expect that more long-term results will be presented in the coming years.

This course is planned to be organised in the even years and should be clearly distinguished from the multidisciplinary course that will continue to being organised in the odd years in Europe. As breast cancer is a very common cancer and APBI can be considered as a distinctive and standard approach in modern breast cancer treatment, we are confident that by organising both courses on an alternate basis we meet a clear need of the radiation oncology community.

COURSE AIM

This course dedicated to APBI will present only very few general issues of breast cancer and especially focus on patient selection and on the variety of techniques that can be used for the delivery of APBI. It will elaborate extensively on the technical aspects of the delivery of this specific form of radiation therapy, including optimal target volume delineation.

Apart from presentations, interactivity will be stimulated by organising clinical case discussions, target volume contouring exercises and debates. The faculty includes specialists in all technical approaches currently used for delivering APBI.

Course Content

• Epidemiology: is the proportion of early stage low risk patients increasing?
• Patient selection based on tumour- and patient-related factors
• Local surgery: choices and techniques (including oncoplastic)
• Target volume delineation with discussions based on homework
• Practical treatment preparation and delivery tips and tricks
• APBI techniques including external beam, intraoperative electron beam, interstitial, endocavitary brachytherapy and other techniques
• Pre-operative APBI
• Fractionation schedules
• Combination of external beam APBI with advanced treatment techniques including IGRT and breathing control
• Long-term effects including cosmetic outcome after APBI
• Recent and on-going clinical trials
• Clinical case discussions.

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course participants should:

• Have at least basic experience with all aspects of radiation therapy for breast cancer patients.

If the participants are not radiation/clinical oncologists (in training) they should be involved in the interdisciplinary and/or multidisciplinary case discussions and/or in work related to treating breast cancer patients

• Participate on beforehand in the exercises on target volume delineation for APBI in breast cancer.

Teaching Methods

Approximately (spread over 3,5 days):

• 21 hours of lectures, case discussions and debates
• 4 hours of practical workshops for treatment preparation including contouring and treatment delivery.

Methods of Assessment

• MCQ
• Delineation exercise
• Evaluation form.

Programme

Available here

Key Words

Breast cancer, radiation therapy, multidisciplinarity, breast conserving therapy, APBI, clinical trials, target volume delineation, side effects, quality of life.

Further Reading

Please consult the ESTRO website page of this course for further information.

Accreditation

Application for CME recognition will be submitted to the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). EACCME credits are recognised by the American Medical Association towards the Physicians Recognition Award (PRA). Information on the status of the applications can be obtained from the ESTRO office.

Membership

ESTRO members can order products at substantially reduced prices. Please note that in order to benefit from the member price, you must renew your membership for 2020 before registering to the course.To benefit from these member rates, please visit the membership page to become a member or renew your membership BEFORE proceeding with your order.

Fees

*  All specialties: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia,, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine

RTTs and physicists only: Cyprus 

RTTs only: Italy

To apply for the above rate, please contact education@estro.org at least 2 weeks before the start of the course. Thereafter, the desk rate will be applied.

** Members with specialty Radiation Therapist (RTT) may register at the In Training fee

The standard rate is applied up to 2 weeks before the starting date of the course. 

Desk rates are applied 2 weeks before the starting date of the course.

Advance registration & payment are required.             

Registration will close on the date published on the front page of the course.
 

Cancellation

A registration to the online workshop may be cancelled without any fees before pre-online course material is sent out. Pre-online course material is sent out a few days before the first workshop lesson. After the pre-online course material is sent out, no refund of the registration fee is possible.

Fee for ESTRO members working in countries with a less competitive economic background:

ESTRO members working in countries with a less competitive economic background can benefit from the above fees if three conditions are met:

1. Only ESTRO members for 2020 are eligible (please make sure your 2020 membership is in order before you apply for the reduced fee.
2. Sponsored candidates are not entitled to these fees (the invoiceing address has to be the one of the participant)
3. Your application is submitted 2 weeks before the course start date