Academic Courses > DOS 525
DOS 525 - Brachytherapy for Medical Dosimetrists
Course Description
This course was an introduction to the field of brachytherapy, which is a form of short range radiation treatment using radiation sources immediately adjacent to tumors or even placed directly inside tumors. We learned about the range of isotopes used for therapy and their characteristics such as half life, decay pathway, energy emission type and spectrum, and dose deposition. Armed with this knowledge, we learned about various ways to irradiate tumors including surface applications, intracavitary, intraluminal, and intravenous techniques, intraoperative treatment, and interstitial techniques. The merits of high dose rate delivery, low dose rate temporary implants, and low dose rate permanent implants were all discussed, as well as the situations in which one might have an advantage over another.
Assessment
This class was an excellent reminder that external beam radiation is not the only way to deliver effect radiation therapy. The extensive discussion of isotopes and their modes of decay was a great physics refresher, and the planning exercises helped drill in an understanding of which equations to use to determine dose bases off of activity, time since last measurement, distance, and source arrangement. The discussion posts helped us gain exposure to the many different modes of decay and the many different methods of computing dose distributions. Several sets of practice problems helped us reinforce our calculation skills to make us comfortable in dealing with sources of radiation that do not maintain the same potency over the course of their useful life.
Discussions
Week 1: Alpha Emitters for Brachytherapy?
Week 2: Exposure Rate Constant Makes the Math Easy
Week 3: COMS Eye Plaque Brachytherapy
Week 4: The New York System of Brachytherapy Planning
Week 5: Interstitial Brachytherapy for Base of Tongue
Week 2: Exposure Rate Constant Makes the Math Easy
Week 3: COMS Eye Plaque Brachytherapy
Week 4: The New York System of Brachytherapy Planning
Week 5: Interstitial Brachytherapy for Base of Tongue
Reflections
At the conclusion of each course, students are asked to reflect on what they have learned about the material and about themselves. The reflection is guided by five questions:
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were...
I have learned how to calculate dose and time for brachytherapy procedures, and I have learned about what characteristics of sources such as emission spectrum, half life, and emission type are important and how they relate to the choice of which to use for therapy.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by...
Before this class, I had no experience with brachytherapy at all. Besides preparing me for the board exams, I now have a much better understanding of why external beam therapy is not the be-all and end-all of radiation delivery mechanisms. I will now operate with an understanding that some procedures might be better performed with another technique.
I struggle with...
I really need to work on logarithms. I can punch numbers into a calculator if the variable is outside of the "e" exponent, but if I have to rearrange the equation to solve for part of the exponent, I get lost easily.
I feel pretty good about...
I was scared that the calculations for this class would be exceedingly complex, but there are really just a handful of equations that you ever use. I feel much more comfortable solving the equations now that I've had lots of practice.
Other reflective thoughts...
I was surprised to see how old of a technique brachytherapy is. Many of the calculation systems still in use are vastly outdated in the age of computing, and most systems of calculation still relate back to radium even though radium is almost never used anymore. There's a lot of momentum to keep things as they are in this field.
The new knowledge and skills I gained during this course were...
I have learned how to calculate dose and time for brachytherapy procedures, and I have learned about what characteristics of sources such as emission spectrum, half life, and emission type are important and how they relate to the choice of which to use for therapy.
The new knowledge and skills will benefit me by...
Before this class, I had no experience with brachytherapy at all. Besides preparing me for the board exams, I now have a much better understanding of why external beam therapy is not the be-all and end-all of radiation delivery mechanisms. I will now operate with an understanding that some procedures might be better performed with another technique.
I struggle with...
I really need to work on logarithms. I can punch numbers into a calculator if the variable is outside of the "e" exponent, but if I have to rearrange the equation to solve for part of the exponent, I get lost easily.
I feel pretty good about...
I was scared that the calculations for this class would be exceedingly complex, but there are really just a handful of equations that you ever use. I feel much more comfortable solving the equations now that I've had lots of practice.
Other reflective thoughts...
I was surprised to see how old of a technique brachytherapy is. Many of the calculation systems still in use are vastly outdated in the age of computing, and most systems of calculation still relate back to radium even though radium is almost never used anymore. There's a lot of momentum to keep things as they are in this field.
Academic Courses > DOS 525
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Published May 8, 2015
Second Semester, 4 Months into Internship |