Course director 

Mischa Hoogeman, Medical Physicist, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL)

Carmen Rubio, Radiation Oncologist, Hospital Universitario HM Sanchinarro, Madrid (ES)

Teachers 

Sofie Ceberg, Medical Physicist, Skåne University Hospital, Lund (SE)

Lone Hoffmann, Medical Physicist, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus (DK)

Arjen van der Schaaf, Medical Physicist, University of Groningen, Groningen (NL)

Maja Vestmø Maraldo, Clinical Oncologist, Risghospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen (DK)

Local Organiser

Hrvoje Hršak (HR)

To present and discuss:

•The scientific basis of IMRT/VMAT and highly conformal radiation techniques

•The technical aspects of treatment preparation and treatment delivery

•Dose calculation and the quality assurance process

•Inverse planning optimisation and its practical implementation

•The latest developments in IMRT/VMAT irradiation modalities

•The clinical aspects of IMRT/VMAT, including clinical outcomes, site-specific issues, normal tissue tolerance and emerging indications.

•The relationship between IMRT/VMAT and other advanced radiotherapy techniques (e.g., IGRT, SBRT and adaptive radiotherapy).

•Re-irradiation challenges: image registration, dose accumulation, constraints.

•Most impactful papers on Highly Conformal Techniques

Learning Outcomes

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

•Describe, at least in qualitative terms, the inverse treatment planning process and potential issues with all elements involved

•List specific contouring requirements for IMRT/VMAT and, in particular for a clinician, assess the extent to which these requirements are fulfilled in their clinical practice

•Judge/revise the appropriateness of the dose-volume-constraints used in their clinical practice with respect to the current state-of-the-art

•Analyse/judge treatment plans with regard to applicability, safety and efficacy

•Evaluate their dosimetry practice with respect to the current standard of practice (specifically for physicists)

•Reassess their procedure in producing highly conformal treatment plans (specifically for a dosimetrists)

•Summarise the overall clinical outcomes and remaining open issues with highly conformal techniques across disease types.

Course Content

• Rationale of IMRT/VMAT

• Delivery modalities

• Dosimetry and commissioning

• Quality assurance

• Imaging and contouring

• Treatment plan optimization

• Automated treatment planning

• Normal tissue tolerance, dose-volume constraints

• Impact of motion and geometrical uncertainties on IMRT/VMAT

• Clinical case discussions

• IGRT, SBRT and adaptive radiotherapy

• Discussion of IMRT/VMAT-specific clinical issues for Head and Neck, Breast, Lung, Gastrointestinal, Prostate, Brain, Lymphoma and Gynecological cancer

• Re-irradiation challenges

Practical demonstrations will take place on-site in close collaboration with the local staff. Three clinical cases, prepared by the participants, will be discussed in small groups with the teaching staff.

Prerequisites

Before commencing this course, participants should:

As a clinician:

-Be familiar with clinical indications for conformal radiotherapy

-Have a general understanding of the treatment planning process.

As a physicist:

-Be familiar with quality assurance measurements for conventional therapy

-Have a general knowledge of CT-based treatment planning.

Teaching Methods

12 hours of lectures (17 onsite and 11 pre-recorded lectures)

4 hours of reviewing what have be learnt

2 hours of practical demonstrations in a clinical department

2 hours of clinical case discussions

Methods of Assessment

•           MCQ

•           Clinical case discussion

•           Evaluation form

•           Practical demonstrations

Preliminary draft programme will follow soon.  

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 2026 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 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.  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 2026 are eligible (please make sure your 2026 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

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

EAU members, can apply for the same fee as ESTRO members by sending a mail to education@estro.org

* Members with specialty RadiationTherapist (RTT) may register at the In-Training fee

The early online rate is applied until 2 months before the start of the course.

Late online rates are applied as of 2 months before the start of the course

Advance registration & payment are required.              

Registration will close on the date published on the front page of the course.

Cancellation

For any cancellation made by the course 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
  • 2 months before the start of the course for online attendance