International Medical Physics Week (IMPW) 2020

Day 1 (11 May 2020)

IOMP Webinar: CT Scan Parameters and Radiation Dose

Monday, 11th May 2020 at 14:00-15:00 Central European Time (Amsterdam, Rome, Vienna)

Moderator: John Damilakis, IOMP

Speaker: Mahadevappa Mahesh, MS, PhD.

Mahadevappa Mahesh, MS, PhD, is the Professor of Radiology and Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. He is also the Chief Physicist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD. Dr Mahesh is board certified from the American Board of Radiology in diagnostic radiological physics and is a member of the Radiation Control Advisory Board for the State of Maryland. His research interests are in medical imaging, particularly in areas of computed tomography (CT), interventional fluoroscopy and digital mammography. Dr Mahesh is currently Associate Editor for the Journal of American College of Radiology and board member for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the American College of Radiology. He also serves as subject-matter-expert (SME) to the United Nations-International Atomic Energy Agency (UN-IAEA).

Dr Mahesh is the author of the textbook titled ‘MDCT Physics: The Basics – Technology, Image Quality and Radiation Dose’.

Abstract:

There are number of CT scan parameters that have direct impact on the radiation dose and image quality, while several other parameters have impact only on the image quality. In this webinar, various scan parameters along with their relationship with respect to radiation dose and image quality will be discussed. Also, fundamentals of CT dosimetry and CT dose descriptors will be discussed.

Day 2 (12 May 2020)

IOMP Webinar: Monte Carlo simulation of dosimetry problems in proton therapy. Current developments at the WPE

Tuesday, 12nd May 2020 at 14:00-15:00 Central European Time (Amsterdam, Rome, Vienna)

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Moderator: Eva Bezak, IOMP

Speaker: Lorenzo Brualla, PhD

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Abstract:

Compared to conventional high-energy photon beams, proton therapy has the potential to achieve an improved tumor control by sparing surrounding normal tissue. However, the accurate delivery of absorbed dose distributions is essential to assess the effectiveness of radiotherapy in terms of tumor control and normal tissue complication probabilities. Several factors contribute to the overall accuracy of a treatment. One of them is related to the algorithms used for the determination of ionization chamber quality factors and for the computation of absorbed dose distributions in patients. In this context, the Monte Carlo method is considered the state-of-the-art for solving radiation transport problems.

In this seminar an overview of the current situation related to the determination of ionization chamber quality factors in proton therapy will be given. Current efforts being developed at the WPE in this field will be presented, in particular the benchmarking process of the newly developed extension for proton simulation within the Monte Carlo general-purpose radiation transport code PENELOPE.

Day 3 (13 May 2020)

IOMP Webinar: A Comprehensive Approach to the Management of Radiotherapy Patients with Implanted Cardiac Devices: How the AAPM Task Group 203 can give Guidance to the Clinic Today

Wednesday, 13th May 2020 at 14:00-15:00 Central European Time (Amsterdam, Rome, Vienna)

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Moderator: Arun Chougule, IOMP

Speaker: Dr. Dimitris Mihailidis, PhD

Dr. Dimitris Mihailidis is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of Ioannina, Greece and a PhD in Nuclear Physics from University of Minnesota. His research interests include new technologies in radiation therapy and treatment deliveries, treatment plan optimization based on biological parameters, and electron beam dosimetry. His clinical responsibilities include the clinical development of new treatment techniques, implementation of novel clinical techniques in the radiotherapy external beam and brachytherapy treatments, developing polices for managing RT patients with implanted cardiac devices, starting up new radiotherapy physics programs, shielding and quality assurance of radiation physics, and radiation safety and protection. He has chaired numerous committees and task groups of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and has published over 100 peer reviewed scientific articles, reports and book chapters. He is co-author of “Khan’s Lectures: Handbook of the Physics of Radiation Therapy” and the Editor for Book Reviews for the Medical Physics Journal. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the American College of Medical Physics. Dr. Mihailidis is certified by the American Board of Medical Physics and the American Board of Radiology and serves as examiner for both certification boards. Dr. Mihailidis directs and co-teaches the Radiation Detection and Measurement course at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Programs.

Abstract:

Managing and treating radiotherapy patients with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIED) is very common to all clinics today. As more patients with CIEDs are receiving radiation treatments, assessing the risk of radiation exposure to CIED demands better understanding of the sources of their potential malfunctions. The need for comprehensive and concise set of recommendations is clearly evidenced by the numerous publications in literature on the topic and lack of a comprehensive approach. The recently published AAPM-TG203 report has focused on devising recommendations for the management of patients from simulation to post-irradiation follow-up, with a special emphasis on reducing potential damage to CIEDs.

Day 4 (14 May 2020)

IOMP Webinar: Smaller! Faster! More!
Advanced X-Ray Breast Imaging and its Role Beyond Cancer Diagnosis

Thursday, 14th May 2020 at 14:00-15:00 Central European Time (Amsterdam, Rome, Vienna)

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Moderator: Magdalena Stoeva, IOMP

Speaker: Ioannis Sechopoulos, Ph.D., DABR, FAAPM

Dr. Sechopoulos is the director of the Advanced X-ray Tomographic Imaging (AXTI) laboratory of the Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Anatomy of the Radboud University Medical Center, and scientific advisor of the Dutch Expert Center for Screening (LRCB). He obtained his Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, USA, performing research in the area of digital breast tomosynthesis at Emory University. Since then, his main area of research is the development of advanced x-ray-based imaging techniques, especially for breast cancer detection, diagnosis and therapy, in addition to performing research on various aspects of body CT. Dr. Sechopoulos is or has been a member or chair of two dozen different tasks groups and committees of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), the European Federation for Organization of Medical Physics (EFOMP), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), and the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI). He is a member of the editorial board of the international journals Medical Physics and Radiology, and associate editor of Physica Medica: European Journal of Medical Physics.

Abstract:

X-ray based breast imaging, specifically in the form of digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis, is well-established as the most common imaging method for detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. However, new and upcoming advances based on dedicated breast CT hold promise for not only improvement in cancer diagnosis, but also for x-ray imaging to have a crucial role in the introduction of precision medicine for breast cancer care. This will involve taking x-ray imaging to a 4^th dimension, with innovations in image acquisition, reconstruction, processing, filtering, and analysis. With these advances, x-ray breast imaging has the promise to revolutionize breast cancer treatment.

Day 5 (15 May 2020)

IOMP Webinar: Radionuclide Therapy Patients in Public: The Original Social Distancing

Friday, 15th May 2020 at 14:00-15:00 Central European Time (Amsterdam, Rome, Vienna)

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Moderator: Ibrahim Duhaini, IOMP

Speaker: Nicholas Forwood, PhD

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Abstract:

As the world discovers the practicalities of social distancing, it is an opportune time to review the practice of isolation of nuclear medicine therapy patients. This presentation will examine the various regulatory requirements across the globe and the assumptions which underpin them. The collection of studies which have made empirical measurements of radiation exposure will be presented in detail. Finally, the role of the physicist, as an expert in broad aspects of radiation dosimetry will be highlighted. At the end of the presentation the audience will be adequately informed to begin an individualized system of advising patients on how to minimise radiation exposure to the public after radionuclide therapy.