IOMP SCHOOL WEBINARS

High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are notoriously invasive of normal tissue and prognosis remains poor. The main issue in treating HGGs is determining the extent of tumour invasion, as regions of considerable clonogenic cell populations are not detectable using conventional diagnostic imaging. This presentation discusses the use of computational modelling to simulate HGG growth and invasion of brain matter, how well simulated invasion agrees with conventional CTV delineation, and the future prospects of model-assisted CTV delineation and probabilistic treatment planning.

A TED talker and leading voice in science communication, Prof. Leach advocates for better science communication that critically examines the social impacts of science, technology and biomedicine. She has written and edited books on science communication including An Ethics of Science Communication (with Fabien Medvecky) and Science Communication: A Global Perspective, telling the stories of 39 nations’ attempts to raise the profile of science over the last 50 years.

A freelance health and science journalist who left the world of cells and microscopes for writing and reporting nearly 20 years ago. She specializes in genetics, aging, end-of-life issues, and wellness. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Discover, Science News, Family Circle, Nature, Nature Medicine, Women’s Health, and The Washington Post. She co-founded The Open Notebook, a craft-focused site for science, health, and environmental writers.

A former environmental journalist on Canada’s largest daily newspaper, then Press Officer for a decade at the IAEA, media advisor to the CTBTO, and consultant to UNSCEAR. He is founder of Atomic Reporters, which organizes training workshops bringing specialists and journalists together to promote nuclear literacy and support more informed reporting.

This presentation covers: (1) Historical review of computational phantoms — from 1st-generation stylized phantoms through 2nd-generation voxel phantoms to 3rd-generation BREP phantoms; (2) Development of patient-specific phantoms using DeepViewer, an automatic multi-organ segmentation tool based on U-Net neural convolutional networks; (3) Development of ARCHER, a rapid GPU-based Monte Carlo dose calculation code that reduces computing time from hours to under one minute. Examples in medical imaging dose (CT, PET/CT) and radiation treatment planning are discussed.

Cardiac radioablation has rapidly grabbed the attention of both clinicians and academics after stellar initial clinical results. This presentation describes the clinical drivers for cardiac radioablation, discusses the challenges it brings to radiotherapy, summarizes current technology approaches in clinical cardiac radioablation treatments, and identifies potential research and development opportunities for medical physicists. Specific focus on MRI-guided treatment on an MRI-Linac using non-invasive target tracking and MLC tracking for atrial fibrillation.

In radiation oncology, margins are added to the CTV to allow for geometrical uncertainties in planning and treatment. However, in SRS some practitioners (particularly using a Gamma Knife®) have not added margins to the CTV to form a PTV. This inconsistent approach makes multi-centre SRS clinical trials difficult. The talk considers: geometrical uncertainties in SRS and the magnitude of contributing factors; how different treatment modalities affect margin requirements (steepness of dose gradients); the effect of imaging for treatment position verification; the ICRU91 approach for clinical trials; and clinical evidence for the use of CTV-PTV margins in SRS.

Physicists make quantitative measurements to determine therapeutic and diagnostic equipment safety and performance. Measurement uncertainty can influence acceptability decisions. Inappropriate equipment acceptance might result in hazardous operation; improper rejection could be hazardous to patients if alternative equipment is not available in a timely manner. This presentation reviews basic concepts and nomenclature for measuring instrument calibration and measurement uncertainty applicable to all areas of medical physics, using fluoroscopic beam measurements as an example, and concludes with the clinical implications of acceptability decisions.

A talk on how the field of medical physics evolves rapidly and how a leading scientific journal keeps pace. Prof. Parodi draws on her experience as Editor-in-Chief of PMB and her research background in high-precision image-guided radiotherapy with a special focus on ion beams, from advanced computational modeling to experimental developments of novel methods for imaging and in-vivo ion range monitoring.

Drawing on extensive experience as Editor-in-Chief of Medical Physics, Prof. Boone shares the fundamentals of what makes a great paper — from research design and methodology to writing, presentation, and the peer review process.

A presentation covering the classification, causes, and management of unintended and accidental radiation exposures in medical settings, drawing on experience from ICRP Committee 3 task group work and IAEA Technical Meetings on avoidance and prevention of radiation incidents in medicine. Topics include reporting systems, root cause analysis, and how medical physicists contribute to preventing and learning from radiation incidents.

A presentation examining the evidence base for contact shielding (gonad shielding) in diagnostic radiology. Drawing on his role as chair of the GAPS (Gonad and Patient Shielding) group of experts producing a consensus document for major European professional bodies, this talk critically examines whether contact shielding improves or in some cases reduces patient safety, given advances in automatic exposure control and dose modulation techniques in modern radiology equipment.

A joint presentation from IAEA and WHO on their respective roles, programmes, and activities related to the radiation protection of patients. Topics include IAEA guidance documents and training materials, coordinated research activities, clinical audit programmes, WHO’s international coordination role through UNSCEAR, ICRP, and the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety (IACRS).

A presentation on the initial experience and outcomes of the SINFONIA Horizon 2020 project (www.sinfonia-appraisal.eu), which applies AI to support radiation protection appraisal in medical imaging. Topics include the role of deep learning and computational modelling in organ dose estimation, how AI can optimize radiation dose in medical imaging, and the opportunities and challenges of incorporating AI tools into clinical medical physics practice.

A presentation examining the radiation risks associated with cumulative exposures from recurrent medical imaging procedures, drawing on epidemiological evidence and the latest research findings. Dr. Silver presents the application of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic imaging techniques — developed in astrophysics — to medical applications including anti-cancer drug mapping at the cellular level.

A joint IAEA–IOMP webinar addressing the growing concern of cumulative radiation exposure in patients who undergo recurrent CT imaging. Topics include identifying patients with high cumulative doses, communication strategies with referring clinicians and patients, the role of dose registries, and the IAEA’s Smart Card / SmartRadTrack initiative for tracking patient radiation exposure history.

Radiation safety culture is defined as "the assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals which establishes that, as an overriding priority, protection and safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance." Experts from four major international organizations (IAEA, IOMP, IRPA, WHO) deliberate on this important topic, covering both diagnostic and therapeutic activities in medical institutions, the ten IAEA safety culture traits, and practical implementation strategies.