Course overview
This course will provide students with Radiation Therapy specific theory and knowledge of less common treatment sites and techniques and specialities in radiation therapy. Contents include: head and neck cancer treatment techniques; paediatric malignancies and cranio-spinal irradiation; special requirements of children, adolescents and their families; radiation therapy specialities including total body irradiation; new technologies in Radiation Therapy; rationale and technique for radiation therapy treatment to haematological and lymphatic malignancies and how they are related to: the radiobiological effect of radiation on tumour cells and normal tissue; anatomy; physiology; and pathology including grade, stage and mode of spread; quality assurance in radiation therapy; documentation standards and practice; random and systematic set-up error; incident reporting referring to ARPANSA; image matching in IGRT; electron beam planning and simulation; strategies applicable to examining patients with varying degrees of emotional duress; national protocols published on safety and quality in health care.
Course learning outcomes
- Identify the common considerations in treating head and neck cancers, the special considerations of treating children and the difference between random and systematic error in planning and treatment.
- Discuss radiation therapy treatment for haematological and lymphatic malignancies associated radiobiology, including the pharmaceuticals used in side effect management; anatomy; physiology; and pathology and the techniques for cranio-spinal irradiation and total body irradiation techniques.
- Discuss and apply the principles of 3D conformal and IMRT treatment planning to complex plans of the head and neck regions, electron beam planning, proton therapy planning.
- Relate the physical principles of particle therapy to treatment applications and explore emerging technologies in radiation therapy treatment.
- Describe and discuss the management processes within a radiation therapy department relating to legalities, information management, incident reporting and optimal quality assurance programs.
- Demonstrate a developing level of competence in image matching for treatment verification.
- Discuss strategies applicable to examining patients with varying degrees of emotional duress.