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Education and Training Committee |
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| Graduate Program(s) Name: Post Graduate Course "Physics on Radiotherapy" | |
| Graduate Degree(s) Awarded: License as Specialist in Physics of Radiotherapy | |
| Department, University, and Address of Program(s):
Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) - Instituto
Universitario de Estudios Nucleares (IUdEN)
Address: Av. del Libertador 8250 - 1429 Buenos Aires - ARGENTINA |
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| Brief Description of Academic Program(s), Clinical Training, and Duration: The Course is divided in 5 subjects: 1) Radiation Biology ( 45 hours): Notions of Anatomy and Physiology. Tumour Classification. Biological Effects of Radiation. Survival Curves. Modifying factors of response to radiation. Basis of fractionation - 2) Dosimetry of Ionizating Radiation. Clinical Dosimetry. Theory of dosemeters (90 hours): Interaction of radiation with matter. Dose. Kerma. Cavity theory of Bragg-Gray. X-Rays production and properties; HVL. Radiotherapy machines. Field size, penumbra, PDD, TAR, TMR, TPR. Parameters modifying depth dose. Isodose curves. Normalization. Correction for tissue inhomogeneities and surface curvature. Fixed SSD and Isocentrical Irradiation. Wedges. Quality Index for linacs. Flattening filter. Radioisotopes for Brachytherapy. Dose distribution. Different methods for treatment planning. Errors in Clinical Dosimetry. QA programs. - 3) Treatment Planning (Teletherapy and Brachytherapy, 160 hours): Manual planning with isodose curves. Planning with wedge filters, lack of tissue corrections, tissue inhomogeneities. Irregular fields. SAR. Design and building of protection blocks. Different fractionations. LQModel. Ellis NSD. Planning with TPS (computers). Comparison of different TPS. Routinary control of tratment palnning. Simulation. Different methods of treatment in brachytherapy. LDR and HDR. - 4) Use and calibration of dosemeters for Radiation Therapy. Equipment Control and Calibration (90 hours) : Dosemeters used in Radiotherapy. Primary, Secondary and field dosemeters. Use of radioactive standards. Cylindrical and plate parallel chambers. Effective point. Calibration at the SSDL. Use of ionization chambers, films and TLD dosemeters for equipment calibration. Mechanical and dosimetric controls in treatment units. Absolute calibration of Co-60 units and linacs (photon and electron beams)- 5) Radiation Protection Historical evolution of concepts in Radiation Protection. Quantities and Units. Early and late radiation effects in man. Radiolesions. Probability of somatic and genetic effects. Limits of doses. Concepts of monitoring. Ionization chambers, G. Muller, TLD, films. Shielding. Its building. Personnel and public protection. Legal aspects. Argentine laws. Transport of radioisotopes | |
| Number of students and faculty for Program(s): 7students | |
| Accreditation: | |
| Language(s) of Instruction: Spanish | |
| Admission Requirements for Citizen of the Country: Graduate Degree in Physics or Engineering, having approved an Introductory Course "Dosimetry on Radiotherapy" (duration: 5 weeks, 150 hours in total | |
| Additional Admission Requirements for Foreign Nationals: | |
| Tuition fees (per semester, per year): $600 US dollars for the whole course (free for foreign students with IAEA or similar fellowship | |
| Availability of Scholarship/Fellowship and Pertinent Requirements: The only fellowship available at this moment is for the tuition fees, and the requirement for the applicant is to be introduced by a State Hospital or State University, and it is better if the institution (Hospital or University) takes the compromise of giving a job to the applicant after the approval of the corresponding course | |
| Program Director:
Name: Diana Beatriz Feld |
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| Address:
Delgado 860 31 P. Depto. 15 1426 Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA |
Telephone: 0054 11 4958 6239 (job)
0054 11 4553 6476 (home) Fax: 0054 11 4982 3972 E-Mail: feld@cnea.gov.ar Web Address: |
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| Date of Submission: September 20, 1999 | |
| NOTE:
This is not a career, but a post-graduate course. Those physicists who want to have a license for working in radiotherapy must approve both the course Dosimetry in Radiotherapy (introductory, 5 weeks, 150 hours) and the course Physics on Radiotherapy; after this, they have to practise along 1 year, 4 hours a day, in a Radiotherapy Hospital under the supervision of a licensed Physicist. The number of students in the introductory course is between 20 and 25, because it is also attended by medical doctors (radiotherapists) and technicians. The deadline for registering is 28th of February of each year; the registering can be made by FAX to 0054 11 379 8452 (invoking the name of Sr. Daniel Sangregorio). If you consider it necessary, I can send also the program of the introductory course. Best regards, Diana B. Feld |
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