• 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

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)

To follow

Membership

ESTRO members can order products at substantially reduced prices. To benefit from the member registration rate, you must subscribe for the ESTRO membership 2025 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

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

Advance registration & payment are required.

Access to homework and/or course material will become available upon receipt of full payment.

Insurance and cancellation

Participants are strongly advised to take out their own personal insurance policy. ESTRO does not accept liability for individual medical, travel or personal accidents or incidents. Participants are strongly advised to take insurance policies to cover flight and accommodation cancellation penalties. ESTRO will not refund any travel or accommodation expenses.

For any cancellation made by the course or workshop participant, ESTRO School Events Cancellation Policy will be followed and all stated penalty fees will be applied.

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, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine. 

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 2025 are eligible (please make sure your 2025 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