ESTRO 2025 - Abstract Book

S4267

RTT - Education, training, advanced practice and role developments

ESTRO 2025

mentorship program's flexible design, addressing time constraints and providing hands-on guidance to build practical research skills.

Conclusion: RTTs remain underrepresented at ESTRO relative to other radiation oncology professions. The multidisciplinary research mentorship program can in improving RTTs’ attitudes, confidence, and skills in research. This work highlights the value of structured, mentorship-based programs in fostering a culture of research within clinical teams. Our findings suggest that a targeted mentorship and skill-building initiatives can empower RTTs to play a more active role in research, with potential positive implications for departmental research output and patient care practices.

Keywords: Mentorship, research,

3674

Proffered Paper Training Radiotherapy Technicians as RTT_Adapters for Independent Online Adaptive Radiotherapy: A Pioneering Experience in Spain Mikel Rico 1 , Jessica Ojer 1 , Naiara Fuentemilla 2 , Marta Barrado 1 , Maria Isabel Martinez 1 , Patricia Lorenzana 1 , Amaya Sola 1 , Victor de la Llana 2 , Ignacio Visus 1 , Sonia Flamarique 1 , Santiago Pellejero 2 , Elena Villafranca 1 1 Radiation Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. 2 Radiophysics and Radiological Protection, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain Purpose/Objective: Online Adaptive Radiotherapy (oART) is an emerging strategy that adapts daily the radiotherapy plan to changes in the patient’s anatomy and tumor. Traditionally, oART has required the presence of radiation oncologists (RO), medical physicists (MPh), and radiotherapy technicians (RTTs) in the treatment process, presenting a significant barrier. A nationwide survey identified this as the main challenge in expanding oART. To address this, we implemented a formal training program to train RTTs as RTT_Adapters, enabling them to independently lead and perform oART on an Ethos accelerator. We present the first results of this pioneering experience in our country. Material/Methods: The training, accredited by the Continuing Education Commission, consisted of 180 hours over 4 weeks, delivered by experienced ROs and MPhs in oART. The program included theoretical lectures, exercises, and practical sessions, focusing on prostate and rectal cancer. Theoretical training covered anatomy, organ contouring and treatment volumes, dosimetry, plan evaluation, Ethos workflows, dose accumulation, and Mobius3D evaluation. Practical exercises on contouring and planning were performed using plan libraries. RTTs accompanied ROs and MPhs during daily oART treatments to familiarize themselves with the system before taking over treatment direction with supervision. To evaluate the training, we conducted continuous practical assessments and a final theoretical exam with multiple choice questions. Additionally, questionnaires on self-perception of the training, addressing oART steps, were administered at three points: before training (1st), at the end (2nd), and after at least 4 weeks (3rd). Responses were rated from 1 to 5 (from "not competent at all" to "very competent"). We analyzed the evolution of these responses (Wilcoxon test) and the impact of incorporating RTT_Adapters on the number of treatment fractions performed.