IAEA/RCA Regional Training Course on 3D Conformal Radiotherapy – QA for Imaging and Treatment Planning (with focus on gastrointestinal, genitor-urinary and cervix cancer) will be held in Mumbai, India on 24-28 November 2008 in cooperation with the Government of India through the Tata Memorial Hospital.

The objective of this RCA project on “Application of high-precision 3D radiotherapy for predominant cancers in the RCA region”, which commenced in 2007, is to improve the knowledge and skill of radiation oncologists and medical physicists in 3D conformal radiotherapy for the predominant cancers in the region. This will be achieved through a series of regional training courses conducted under the project on relevant topics focusing on the IAEA Standards. This is the fourth course to be conducted under this project, and the purpose of this course is to provide RCA Member States participating in the project with training in quality assurance and quality control practices and procedures in gastro-intestinal, genitor-urinary, and cervix cancer, which can be integrated into development of a sustainable 3D conformal radiation therapy process.

Particular emphasis will be on the integration of imaging and planning aspects into the daily clinical care of patients with these cancers, using external beam curative radiation therapy without brachytherapy. (Brachytherapy, also known as sealed source radiotherapy or endocurietherapy, is a form of radiotherapy where a radioactive source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment. Brachytherapy is commonly used to treat localized prostate cancer, cervical cancer and cancers of the head and neck. Brachytherapy to prevent restenosis after coronary angioplasty is currently being trialed.)

The course will consist of a series of lectures summarizing state-of-the-art in radiation therapy in gastrointestinal, genitourinary and gynecological cancer, from integration of imaging and treatment planning to treatment delivery. It will also have practical sessions which will strengthen the ‘hands-on’ skills of the participants in radiotherapy treatment planning, simulation, patient set up and treatment delivery in these cancers.

For more information please contact Dr Ketayun A. Dinshaw, Director, Tata Memorial Centre, at dinshaw.tmc@vsnl.com or tmcdir@tmc.ernet.in.