ESTRO meets Asia 2024 - Abstract Book

S3

Invited Speaker

ESTRO meets Asia 2024

Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) represents a significant advancement in radiotherapy, providing a non-invasive method for patient setup and real-time monitoring during treatment. SGRT offers an alternative using surface imaging to guide treatment, enhancing accuracy and patient comfort. The adoption of SGRT has shown promising improvements in clinical outcomes. Key benefits include enhanced accuracy in patient positioning, improved treatment reproducibility, and reduced setup times. SGRT allows for precise alignment of patients based on their surface anatomy, reducing the likelihood of errors and the need for repositioning. This leads to more consistent and accurate radiation delivery, crucial for effective tumor targeting and minimizing damage to healthy tissues. SGRT has been particularly beneficial in treatments where patient movement is a concern, such as breast cancer and head-and-neck cancers. In breast cancer radiotherapy, SGRT helps achieve optimal positioning while minimizing radiation exposure to the heart and lungs. In head-and-neck cancers, SGRT assists in maintaining precise positioning despite potential patient discomfort and movement. SGRT has significantly improved the accuracy, efficiency, and patient experience in radiotherapy, by providing precise, real-time surface imaging. As technology advances, the role of SGRT in radiotherapy is expected to expand, offering even greater patient benefits. The continued integration and optimization of SGRT within radiotherapy practices will contribute to more effective and safer cancer treatments.

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Advancing patient care: The expanding role of RTTs in advanced radiation modalities

Yat Man Tsang

Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Canada

Abstract

Radiation therapists (RTT) are responsible for planning and delivering radiotherapy (RT) and play a non-replaceable role in cancer patients’ RT pathways. Task shifting is a strategy where a professional group, that generally requires less training and fewer qualifications, expands their scope of practice to close gaps with other professional groups that requires longer training, in order to tackle bottlenecks or gaps in the delivery of high quality and timely care to patients. For the purposes of streamlining workflows in RT, this task shifting concept has been consolidated under the umbrella of expanding RTT roles including ‘advanced practice’ (AP). There is no doubt that each AP position is unique. The concepts of task shifting through AP roles should not be interpreted as replacing medical colleagues but rather as a way to rationalize who provides what service, in order to augment the efficiency and effectiveness of our healthcare system for patients getting the right care at the right time. The development of expanded RTT roles and AP is constantly evolving locally and globally. These roles can quickly be perceived as ‘standard’ practice. It is important to consider that the RTT roles should adapt over time due to the continuously evolving technology and service needs.

Against this background, this presentation aims:

• To discuss the roles of RTTs in ensuring precision and effectiveness of advanced radiation therapy treatments • To examine the involvements of RTTs in enhancing team-based care and improving radiation therapy treatment outcomes.