New ESTRO Course - PDF Version

Interview with Uulke van der Heide and Luca Boldrini on the

In-room MR-Guided Radiotherapy course

8-11 November 2020 | Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Why was the In-room MR-Guided Radiotherapy course created?

Since hybrid MRI-linear accelerator (linac) systems have reached the clinic, the numbers of users and potential users of these systems are growing rapidly. This technology opens frontiers in the field of adaptive radiotherapy. The complexity of these devices and treatment approaches requires specific skills in the fields of medical physics and radiation therapy. A joint course programme for radiation oncologists, medical physicists and radiotherapists (RTTs) aims to provide the basis for acquiring these skills.

What will be the main learning outcome of the course?

In this interdisciplinary course, we aim to:

- Provide a detailed overview of the clinical rationale and indications of in-room MRI-guided radiotherapy;

- Deepen the knowledge of the clinical, physical and technical aspects of MRI-guided radiotherapy implementation in clinical practice; and

- Share opportunities and challenges of MRI-guided radiotherapy systems in different clinical scenarios.

How did you select the teachers?

The faculty members, consisting of radiation oncologists, medical physicists and RTTs, were invited from institutes that are now using the Viewray MRIdian or the Elekta Unity MR-linac systems, offering a comprehensive overview of the most contemporary daily clinical practice solutions.

Who should attend?

The course is intended for participants who are either directly involved in a clinical MR-guided radiotherapy project, or who want to update their knowledge of this topic. Participation of multidisciplinary teams that belong to the same institute is encouraged but is not mandatory.

Any final remarks?

The course will be structured as a set of lessons and workshops for all participants, as well as lessons held in parallel that are focussed on the specific interests of the radiation oncologists, medical physicists and RTTs.

Uulke van der Heide
Department of Radiation Oncology:
The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam
Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden

Luca Boldrini
Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini
Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia,
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS
Rome, Italy
Istituto di Radiologia
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Rome, Italy