Course Director

Michael Joiner, Radiation Biologist, Wayne State University, Detroit (US)

Teachers

• Rob Coppes, Radiation Biologist, UMC Groningen, Groningen (NL)
• Vincent Grégoire, Radiation Oncologist, Léon Bérard Cancer Center, Lyon (FR)
• Karin Haustermans, Radiation Oncologist, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven (BE)
• Marianne Koritzinsky, Radiation Biologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto (CA)
• Laure Marignol, Radiation Biologist, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin (IE)

The course aims to:

• Provide an introduction to radiation biology as applied to radiotherapy
• Cover the basic mechanisms of cell death/survival and the radiation response of tumours and normal tissues
• Explain the formulae of tissue tolerance
• Describe the biological basis for current approaches to the improvement of radiotherapy including novel fractionation schemes, retreatment, IMRT, modification of hypoxia, hadron therapy, combined radiotherapy/chemotherapy and biological modifiers of tumour and normal tissue effects.

Learning Outcomes

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

• Understand the biology of how ionizing radiation is able to effectively treat cancer
• Distinguish radiotherapy and its advantages from other cancer therapies
• Have the essential knowledge of radiobiology necessary for qualifying examinations.

Course Content

• A series of basic lectures introducing molecular and clinical radiobiology
• Mechanisms and models or radiation cell killing
• The linear-quadratic approach to fractionation
• Molecular basis of radiation response
• Radiobiology and tolerance of normal tissues to (re)treatment
• Alternative fractionation schedules in radiotherapy
• Tumour hypoxia and the microenvironment
• Combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy
• The volume and dose-rate effect in radiotherapy
• Biological response modifiers (tumours, normal tissues) and molecular approaches to therapy
• Protons and other particles in radiotherapy
• Radiation-induced malignancies.

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course participants should:

• Ensure their knowledge of basic biology and physics is at least high-school level
• Familiarise themselves with access to the journals covering radiobiology related to radiotherapy.

Teaching Methods

• 27 hours of lectures
• 3 hours of tutorials
• 4 hours of discussions.

Methods of Assessment

• MCQ
• Evaluation form.

Please find the preliminary programme here.

Key Words

Radiobiology, radiation biology, radiation oncology, radiotherapy.

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.

Course venue

HF Ipanema Park

Rua de Serralves 124, Porto

Tel: +351 22 532 21 21

hfipanemapark@hfhotels.com

HF Ipanema Park hotel - Porto, Portugal - Official website (hfhotels.com)

To secure a hotel room in the course venue, HF Ipanema Park, please use this link:

https://estrocoursebasicclinicalradiobiology.hfhotels.com

MAKE SURE YOU SELECT HF IPANEMA PARK if you want to stay in the hotel where the course will take place

A 6% discount is granted on their best available rates. The booking conditions are the general conditions of reservation of the HF website.

Please note that all reservations are subject to availability.

For information about hotel reservations in this hotel, please contact: lia.silva@hfhotels.com and refer to the ESTRO Basic Clinical Radiobiology course from 9-13 September in HF Ipanema Park

Membership

ESTRO members can order products at substantially reduced prices. To benefit from the member registration rate, you must subscribe for the ESTRO membership 2023 BEFORE registering to the course. To become an ESTRO member, benefit from the member registration rate and discover the many other member advantages, please visit the membership page.

Fees

* Members with specialty RadiationTherapist (RTT) may register at the In-Training fee

Early rates are applied up to three months before the starting date of the course.

Late rates are applied three months before the starting date of the course.

The fee includes the course material, coffees, lunches, and the social event.

Advance registration & payment are required.

Since the number of participants is limited, late registrants are advised to contact the ESTRO office before payment, to inquire about availability of places. Access to homework and/or course material will become available upon receipt of full payment.

Insurance and cancellation

The organiser does not accept liability for individual medical, travel or personal insurance. Participants are strongly advised to take out their own personal insurance policies.   

In case an unforeseen event would force ESTRO to cancel the meeting, the Society will reimburse the participants fully the registration fees. ESTRO will not be responsible for the refund of travel and accommodation costs.

In case of cancellation, full refund of the registration fee minus 15% for administrative costs may be obtained up to three months before the course and 50% of the fee up to one month before the course. No refund will be made if the cancellation request is postmarked less than one month before the start of the course.

Reduced fees

Members from emerging countries may register at a preferential rate of 350 Euro. Emerging country fee applies to individuals from low-income and lower-middle-income economies according to the World Bank listing here.

Additionally, all specialties from the following countries can benefit from this preferential rate: 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.  In addition, medical physicists from Cyprus can email education@estro.org to apply for this fee.

The preferential rate of 350 Euro is granted automatically when you click on the  BOOK NOW  button and the three conditions below are met:

1. Only ESTRO members for 2023 are eligible (please make sure your 2023 membership is in order before you click on the BOOK NOW  button)
2. Only one course per person per year can be subsidized by ESTRO
3. Sponsored candidates are not entitled to reduced fees (the invoicing address has to be the one of the participant)  

 Please note:

• We can only guarantee a certain number of reduced fees per course
• Application deadlines are the same as early registration fees (3 months before the course date).