Course director

Bradley Pieters, Radiation Oncologist, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam (NL)

Teachers

• Åsa Carlsson Tedgren, Medical Physicist, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm (SE)
• Cyrus Chargari, Radiation Oncologist, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif (FR)
• José Luis Guinot Rodríguez, Radiation Oncologist, Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología, Valencia (ES)
• Peter Hoskin, Radiation Oncologist, Mount Vernon Hospital, London and University of Manchester, Manchester (UK)
• Mirjam Laman, RTT, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam (NL)
• Andrea Slocker Escarpa, Radiation Oncologist, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Barcelona (ES)

Contouring administrator

Andrea Slocker Escarpa, Radiation Oncologist, Institut Catala d’Oncologia, Barcelona (ES)

Local Organiser

Ph.D. Alina Dumitrache, Expert in Medical Physics - Central Military Emergency University Hospital Dr. Carol Davila Bucharest

Ph.D. Mihai Dumitrache, Expert in Medical Physics - Central Military Emergency University Hospital Dr. Carol Davila Bucharest

Programme

The draft scientific programme is available here.

Key Words

Brachytherapy, basic course, clinical aspects, state-of-the-art implantation techniques, physics.

Further Reading

2^nd edition GEC-ESTRO Handbook (https://elibrary.estro.org/search?type=Activities&q=GEC-ESTRO+handbook+2nd&alloptions=on) accessible for ESTRO members.

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 OVERVIEW

Course aim

The course aims to:

• Cover the basic and general principles of brachytherapy: historical notes on evolution of brachytherapy, sources, after loading systems, imaging for brachytherapy, dosimetry, the essentials of ICRU reports, uncertainties in brachytherapy, radiobiology of different time dose patterns (LDR, HDR, PDR and permanent implants), radioprotection and organisation of a brachytherapy department.
• Discuss different technical and dosimetrical aspects of interstitial, endoluminal and endocavitary brachytherapy
• Discuss the main clinical subjects: gynaecological (cervix, endometrium), head and neck (oral cavity, oropharynx), urology (a.o. prostate seed implants), breast (a.o. APBI), skin, bladder and paediatric malignancies
• Illustrate practical examples of brachytherapy treatment planning
• Provide exercises for practical understanding.

Learning outcomes

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

• Essentials of brachytherapy sources, physics, applicators and afterloaders
• Essentials of brachytherapy dose planning, possibilities, and pitfalls of stepping source optimisation techniques
• Essentials of low-dose rate, high-dose rate and pulsed-dose rate radiobiology
• Indications and contraindications of brachytherapy in clinical oncology
• Essentials of different applicators to perform brachytherapy.

Course content

• Principles of radioactivity
• Sources used in brachytherapy
• Physics and dose calculation
• Image-guided brachytherapy
• Dosimetric uncertainties
• Clinical radiobiology in brachytherapy: general principles
• Radioprotection and afterloaders
• Optimisation of stepping source brachytherapy.
• Permanent seed and HDR prostate implants
• Interstitial brachytherapy
• Place of intracavitary brachytherapy in cervix, endometrium and vaginal cancer
• Place of endoluminal brachytherapy in oesophageal and bronchus carcinoma
• Brachytherapy for breast, bladder, anal canal, head and neck, and skin cancer
• Brachytherapy for pediatric malignancies
• Brachytherapy for uveal and choroidal melanoma
• Recommendations for recording and reporting in interstitial, intracavitary and endoluminal brachytherapy
• Use of DVH-parameters
• Practical examples of interstitial, intracavitary
• Applicator localisation for treatment planning
• Permanent and temporary brachytherapy treatment planning
• Practical exercises.

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course participants should be qualified or in training as a medical doctor, medical physicist or radiation therapist (RTT) in the field of brachytherapy.

Teaching methods

• 18 hours of lectures
• 6 hours of hands on practical sessions on applicators and treatment planning implantations
• 5 hours of contouring case homework and discussions.

This course consists of didactic lectures, practical sessions with applicators, interactive sessions with treatment planning stations and clinical aspects and examples.

Methods of assessment

Evaluation form.

Sheraton Bucharest Hotel

Calea Dorobantilor 5-7

Bucharest, 010551

Romania

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).