RDTP 215B - Treatment Planning II

Credits: 3

Description
Continuation of Treatment Planning I. Establishes factors that influence and govern clinical planning of patient treatment. The student will learn isodose descriptions, patient contouring, radiobiological considerations, dosimetric calculations, compensation and clinical applications of treatment beams. Optimal treatment planning is emphasized along with particle beams. Steriotactic and emerging technologies are also discussed. Class demonstrations / laboratories and projects are incorporated to complement specific content areas and are focused on clinical applications.

Student Learning Outcomes

Discuss the history and development of radiation therapy
Explain dose measuring equipment and techniques.
Elaborate on the process of acquiring treatment planning patient data.
Apply the mathematical formulas most widely used in radiation therapy.
Practice solving the most widely used dose calculations for external beams.
Compare isodose charts and typical treatment field arrangements.
Recite the treatment preparation process, including target localization, treatment uncertainties, and patient immobilization.
Compare absorbed doses within a treatment volume with beam variations.
Calculate equivalent squares using various methods that consider the limitations of each field.
Analyze dose distributions to determine the need for beam modifiers.
Compare various methods of tissue compensation and the dosimetric impact on treatment.

Prerequisite: None