Amsterdam, The Netherlands

In-room MRI-guided RT

BLENDED COURSE

ONLINE KICK-OFF on 6 October 2022

Live module: 3 day course from 6 to 8 November 2022, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This blended course is aimed at all professionals in the field of radiation therapy: radiation oncologists (ROs), medical physicists (MP) and radiation therapists (RTTs). In order to encourage teamwork, participation of multidisciplinary teams belonging to the same institute is encouraged, but not mandatory.

The course is intended for participants who are either directly involved in a clinical MR-guided RT project, or who want to update their knowledge on this topic.

The technological development in Image Guided Radiotherapy has led to the introduction of hybrid machines linking an MRI scanner to a linear accelerator. The possibility to have high soft tissue contrast with no extra dose to the patient and live imaging to gate the treatment delivery opens new frontiers in the world of adaptive radiotherapy. The complexity of this new discipline requires advanced skills in the fields of physics and radiotherapy.

In this interdisciplinary course, we aim to:

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

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

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

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Understand the technology underlying the hybrid MR Linac system, discussing the differences between high and low magnetic field machines
  • Appreciate the clinical rationale of in room MRI-guided RT and its possible applications in the frame of modern IGRT
  • Understand the clinical workflow of an in-room MRI-guided RT treatment and the role of all the involved professionals
  • Become familiar with the most innovative online adaptive radiotherapy approaches
  • Identify the most appropriate patients positioning solutions
  • Appreciate the different planning strategies of MRI-guided RT
  • Become familiar with patients selection criteria and MRI safety issues.

Course Content/Programme

The course will cover the following topics:

  • Introduction: From IGRT to in-room MRI-Guided Radiotherapy, the technology, medical and RTT perspective
  • MR-simulation and MR-guided Radiotherapy: common aspects and differences 
  • Clinical workflow of an in-room MRI-Guided Radiotherapy treatment
  • Basic knowledge on in-room MR image processing and planning
  • Low-Field versus High Field MRI hybrid machines
  • Quality controls for commissioning and routine treatment
  • Patient quality assurance in MR-guided RT and dose accumulation
  • Quality Control for MR in Radiotherapy
  • MR-gating systems: criticalities and control quality
  • MR Physics: Basic Introduction
  • Artifacts in MRI: clinical point of view
  • Clinical Experience in MR-guided Radiotherapy
  • Clinical Indications for MR-guided Radiotherapy treatment
  • Breathing techniques in MR-guided RT
  • Patient Positioning: Brain, Head and Neck, Thorax, Upper Abdomen and Pelvis
  • Dosimetry in presence of magnetic fields
  • Principles of deformable image registration
  • Quantitative and functional imaging during MRI-guided Radiotherapy
  • Artifacts in MRI: physical point of view
  • Immobilization devices and MR simulation in MR-guided RT
  • Decision Making: when do adapt a treatment fraction?
  • Patient selection criteria and compliance assessment
  • Quantitative and functional imaging during MRI-guided Radiotherapy
  • Practicalities for patient management
  • Basic principles of OARs contouring on MR
  • Online adaptive radiotherapy: workflow and criticalities
  • RT and MR safety
  • Dose Accumulation

Course Design

The course will take place over a 5 weeks period and will be delivered using a blended learning approach, i.e. a combination of recorded online seminars, live teleconferencing and face-to-face teaching:

  • A kick-off webinar will offered as the official introduction with the teachers and peers
  • The theoretical components will be delivered using the ESTRO Moodle, the ESTRO Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), where recorded presentations will be available for participants to join at a time that suits them (only from 6 Oct onwards)
  • The face-to-face component of the course will occur over a three-day period in Amsterdam and mainly consists out of summaries from the recorded lectures with Q&A, workshops where clinical cases treated by in-room MRI-guided RT radiotherapy will be discussed, group discussions of the assignments per discipline and multidisciplinary.

For the updated calendar please consult the ESTRO website page of this course.

Prerequisites

Defined for each of the disciplines, basic knowledge of radiation oncology, radiation physics and magnetic resonance imaging are prerequisites.

Teaching Methods

  • 1 hour live webinar
  • 16 hours of recorded tutorials
  • 1 practical course of 3 days with workshops

Methods of Assessment

• MCQ

• Evaluation form

 

Further Reading

To be provided if available

Accreditation

Application for CME and CDP recognition will be submitted to the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and the European Board for Accreditation in Medical Physics (EBAMP).

EACCME credits are recognised by the American Medical Association towards the Physician’s Recognition Award (PRA).

EBAMP credits count as CPD event for Medical Physicists at EQF Level 7.

Information on the status of the applications can be obtained from the ESTRO office.

Course Directors

  • Uulke van der Heide, Medical Physicist, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (NL)
  • Luca Boldrini, Radiation Oncologist Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, Rome (IT)

Teachers

  • Stefanie Corradini, Radiation Oncologist, LMU Klinikum, Munich (DE)
  • Cihan Gani, Radiation Oncologist, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen (DE)
  • Sebastian Klűter, Medical Physicist, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg (DE)
  • Faisal Mahmood, Medical Physicist, Odense University Hospital, Odense (DK)
  • Helen McNair, Lead Research Radiographer, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Sutton (UK)
  • Stella Mook, Radiation Oncologist, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht (NL)

Local Organiser

Ben Slotman, Radiation Oncologist, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam (NL)

Programme

Preliminary programme available here

Accreditation

Application for CME and CDP recognition will be submitted to the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME), an institution of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and the European Board for Accreditation in Medical Physics (EBAMP).

EACCME credits are recognised by the American Medical Association towards the Physician’s Recognition Award (PRA).

EBAMP credits count as CPD event for Medical Physicists at EQF Level 7.

Information on the status of the applications can be obtained from the ESTRO office.

The course will be organized in

Hotel Casa Amsterdam
Eerste Ringdijkstraat 4
1097 BC Amsterdam
The Netherlands

www.hotelcasa.nl

info@hotelcasa.nl

 

For hotel reservations in Casa 400, also the course venue for the live part of the course, please book directly via their official website and use the promocode ‘ESTRO2022’.

 

Hotel reservation deadline: 7 October 2022

Membership

ESTRO members can order products at substantially reduced prices. To benefit from the member registration rate, you must subscribe for the ESTRO membership 2022 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

 

Early rate

Late rate

Non-Members

  750 EUR

 850 EUR

ESTRO Members

  600 EUR 

 725 EUR

In-training members*

  450 EUR

 625 EUR

* 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 2022 are eligible (please make sure your 2022 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).

Early deadline: 8 July 2022