ESTRO meets Asia 2024 - Abstract Book

S8

Invited Speaker

ESTRO meets Asia 2024

Abstract

Proton therapy, including carbon ion therapy, has seen significant advancements and rapid growth over the past decade. Proton therapy, in particular, is a cutting-edge technology that uses the unique physical characteristics called Bragg peaks to precisely target tumors with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissues. These advances require an evolution in the roles and responsibilities of radiation therapists, who are essential to providing precise and accurate treatments. This presentation will explore the current roles and limitations of radiation therapists in particle radiation therapy, with a specific focus on proton therapy. It will delve into the challenges encountered in clinical practice and examine how these challenges are being addressed. The presentation will provide a comprehensive review of the current educational status for radiation therapists in Korea, specifically focusing on programs at the National Cancer Center and other key facilities. Additionally, the presentation will summarize the outcomes of a recent workshop organized by the Particle Radiation Therapy Research Committee. This workshop aimed to identify the goals and educational content necessary to enhance the skills and knowledge of radiation therapists. Key highlights will include discussions on the evolving roles of radiation therapists, emphasizing the importance of specialized training to meet the demands of advanced proton therapy techniques. Finally, the presentation will propose the development and implementation of more practical education and training programs for radiation therapists. This includes strategies to enhance training and practice through both domestic and international collaboration. The proposed programs aim to address the evolving needs of radiation therapists, ensuring they are well-equipped with the proficiency required in particle radiation therapy. By improving the educational framework, the goal is to enhance the overall quality of patient care in this rapidly advancing field.

481

The role of RTT in online adaptive radiotherapy

Helen McNair

Radiotherapy and Imaging, Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom. Radiotherapy, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

Abstract

Adaptive radiotherapy (ART) promises to enable more targeted radiotherapy and potentially escalate/de-escalate dose and/or reduce margins. However, early adopters have reported an increase in staff required to be present at time of treatment delivery, which can become a barrier to implementation when combined with increased treatment times. One of the requirements for online adaptive is currently to recontour the target and organs at risk online which a clinical oncologist must be present at the time of treatment. The optimisation of ART delivery offers an opportunity to re-define staff roles and responsibilities. The role of the therapeutic radiographer, required to deliver radiotherapy, has previously been successfully extended for tasks originally performed by a clinician. For example, approving port films, image verification for stereotactic radiotherapy, and plan selection from a library of plans. The opportunity to extend the role further and relieve the clinician from contouring has been taken and results demonstrate that this role can be equally performed by a therapeutic radiographer. The first study reporting evaluation of online prostate contours on MRI assessed 150 structures contoured independently online by eight radiographers. The contours