Proton Beam Therapy Fellowship: For Senior Residents at the Clinic for Particle Therapy at WPE

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Fellowship PBTF

Fellowship PBTF

Proton Beam Therapy Fellowship: For Senior Residents at the Clinic for Particle Therapy at WPE

The Proton Beam Therapy Fellowship Program (PBTF) is designed for physicians to achieve additional clinical training and to gather research experiences in the field of Proton Beam Therapy/Particle Therapy. The program offers a unique opportunity to enhance clinical knowledge at one of the largest Centres providing Proton Beam Therapy in an academic setting. The Clinic for Particle Therapy/West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen is part of one of the oldest and largest Comprehensive Cancer Centres in Germany. In order to gain a full insight into the field of proton therapy, physicians are supposed to stay at Clinic for Particle Therapy/WPE for approx. 12 months in order to ensure comprehensive training.

Program Objectives

To provide comprehensive, clinical training on proton beam therapy in various tumour entities (CNS, Sarcoma, head and neck, prostate, childhood malignancies and moving targets like upper abdominal or thoracic tumours)

To provide research opportunities in the field of proton beam therapy

To build the basis for future international scientific and clinical cooperation

Clinical Training

The PBTF is designed to develop professional competence in the overall care of patients undergoing PBT and to enhance technical skills. Fellows are directly involved in the evaluation, workup and treatment of the cancer patients. This includes preparing patient triaging, treatment prescriptions, target and organ at risk contouring, reviewing treatment dose plans for PBT; getting acquainted with the most relevant pathological, radiological and clinical features with regard to patients being selected for proton beam therapy; getting into discussions with other involved disciplines like physicists or RTTs; taking part in interdisciplinary MDT discussions at the West German Comprehensive Cancer Centre; and presenting patients and treatment approaches to staff physicians.

The following training contents are achieved:

Acquire knowledge on the epidemiology, tumour and organ at risk anatomy, staging evaluation, and course of disease for various malignancies treated with PBT

Develop cancer treatment strategies for all PBT typical tumour types taking into account potential complications and outcomes expected

Learn technical conditions for planning, verification and administration of PBT for all relevant tumour entities

Preparation of irradiation plans together with physicists for different tumour entities (incl. contouring, tolerance of normal tissue, manufacturing of the immobilization aids, performing virtual PBT simulation, dose prescription and tolerance doses)

Participation in interdisciplinary planning and positioning meetings

Involvement in planning CTs/MRIs

Positioning verifications by X-ray and CT or MRI

Re-Planning and dose verifications

Use of intravenous contrast mediums for planning procedures

Documentation within a digital oncological information system (OIS) within Mosaiq

Participation in MDT discussions

Use of various Hard and Software systems like Mosaiq, Raystation (RaySearch), XIO, PACS (Centricity and Chilli-Pacs), TumorLoc)

The following special tasks are covered:

Initial triaging and recruitment of patients

Advisory activities for patients, families and referring institutions

Contribution to positioning and plan verifications

Weekly patients consultations

Side effect management

Assessment of treatment related adverse events (according to CTCAE)