Course Director

• Tommy Knöös, Medical Physicist, Skåne University Hospital and Lund University, Lund (SE)
• Brendan McClean, Medical Physicist, St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Network, Dublin (IE)

Teachers

• Anders Ahnesjö, Medical Physicist, Uppsala University, Uppsala (SE)
• Maria Mania Aspradakis, Medical Physicist, Kantonsspital Winterthur, Winterthur (CH)
• Crister Ceberg, Medical Physicist, Lund University, Lund (SE)
• Núria Jornet, Medical Physicist, Hospital de la Santa Creu in Sant Pau, Barcelona (ES)

The course aims to: 

• Review external beam radiotherapy physics and beam modelling
• Make understandable the concepts behind multi-source modelling and dose calculation algorithms in state-of-the-art treatment planning systems
• Identify and describe the important aspects of commissioning treatment planning systems
• Review dosimetry equipment and dose verification methods of importance for commissioning and verification measurements
• Enable practical implementation of concepts for dose verification in advanced external beam therapy.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Learning outcomes

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

• Identify and interpret the input data requirements for the configuration of beam models
• Illustrate modelling of the patient, treatment beam and energy deposition in the treatment planning process
• Present the concepts behind simple and advanced dose calculation algorithms as implemented on modern treatment planning systems and monitor unit or dose calculation check software tools
• Compare and critically evaluate the tools and methods available for the verification of the calculated dose
• Assess aspects of quality assurance specific to the treatment planning process

Course content

• Review of basic concepts of fluence, radiation transport and convolution
• Linac head design and multisource models
• Patient and phantom characterisation for treatment planning systems
• Point kernel, pencil beam and grid-based approaches to dose calculation
• 1D, 2D and 3D detectors for measurement
• Use of measured data in beam models
• Monitor unit calculation and relation to beam models
• Commissioning and quality assurance of a treatment planning system 
• Dose based metrics
• Practical exercises on monitor unit calculation and modelling

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course, you should preferably have attended the ESTRO course ‘Physics for Modern Radiotherapy’ or equivalent.

Teaching Methods

• 21 hours of lectures 
• 4 hours of practical workshops 
• 2 hours of Q&A 

The course consists of didactic lectures, interactive discussion sessions and practical calculation and modelling sessions. Lectures and preparation workshops will be given on monitor unit calculation and beam modelling. Participants will engage in realistic monitor unit calculation scenario exercises. Participants will also undertake computer-based modelling of basic models for photon beam head scatter and kernel-based dose calculations. 

Methods of assessment

• MCQ
• Clinical case discussion
• Evaluation form
• Practical demonstrations

Draft programme available here.

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 recognized 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.

Affiliations

Venue

NH MÁLAGA

C/ San Jacinto 2,  29007 Málaga, Spain

For booking reference, please contact ESTRO Office (BE): Agnès Delmas, Project Manager, adelmas@estro.org, M +32 470 300 448

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).