Course Director

Barbara Jereczek-Fossa, Radiation Oncologist and Clinical Oncologist, European Institute of Oncology and University of Milan, Milan (IT)

Teachers

Berardino De Bari, Radiation Oncologist, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne (CH)

Bernard Dubray, Radiation Oncologist, Centre Henri Becquerel, Rouen (FR)

Johannes Kaanders, Radiation Oncologist, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen (NL)

Youlia Kirova, Radiation Oncologist, Marie Curie Institute, Paris (FR)

Li Tee Tan, Radiation Oncologist, Addenbrookes Hospital – Oncology Centre, Cambridge (UK)

Matt Williams, Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Charing Cross Hospital, London (UK)

Gian Carlo Mattiucci, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome (IT)St

• The course focuses on the concept of evidence-based medicine and describes the methodology underlying clinical research. Areas of biomedical statistics necessary for participants to develop skills of critical reading and presentation of research evidence will be covered
• The course will explore the state-of-the-art of radiation therapy in the major tumour sites: breast, oesophagus and stomach, rectum, prostate, head and neck, lung, CNS and gynaecological malignancies. A separate session will deal with the major issues in palliative radiation therapy
• The clinical component of the course will comprise a combination of lectures and case discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss clinical scenarios in small groups before the management options are then discussed in the light of the research evidence in plenary sessions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course participants should be able to:

• Define the hierarchy of evidence and use this to evaluate the basis of radiation treatment protocols
• Identify areas of uncertainty in daily radiotherapy practice
• Describe the statistical basis for the design of clinical trials and critically appraise the published literature
• Identify those aspects of current radiotherapy practice which are supported by the highest levels of evidence and those which are not
• Outline the evidence supporting the use of altered fractionation regimens and combined-modality treatment
• Critically evaluate an oral or written scientific presentation.

Course Content

• General introduction to evidence-based medicine
• The terminology of radiation therapy, errors and uncertainties in daily practice
• Statistics for the radiation oncologist, how to describe and interpret data from clinical trials and meta-analyses
• Prostate cancer
• Lung cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• CNS malignancies
• Gynaecological malignancies
• Breast cancer
• Gastric and oesophageal cancer
• Radiation therapy in palliative care

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course participants should:

• Review their institution’s radiotherapy treatment protocols in those areas covered by this course and be prepared to apply and discuss these in case discussions
• Try to distinguish those areas of their practice that can be justified by the available evidence from those where the evidence-basis is uncertain
• Be prepared to ask questions and contribute to discussions

Teaching Methods

31 hours of lectures and case-based discussion

The faculty will present a summary of the available evidence underlying current radiotherapy practice in the major treatment sites and will identify and discuss those areas of practice for which the evidence remains limited. The application of scientific evidence to clinical practice will be illustrated through the use of case-based discussions in which participants will be encouraged to discuss and present practical solutions to clinical scenarios.

Methods of Assessment

Evaluation form

Affiliations

Programme

Click here for a draft copy of the programme

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 Physician’s 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 2021 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 2021 are eligible (please make sure your 2021 membership is in order before you apply for the reduced fees
2. Sponsored candidates are not entitled to these fees (the invoicing address has to be the one of the participant)  
3. Your application is submitted 2 weeks before the course start date