Despite their physical and biological limitations, most cancer radiation treatments worldwide are delivered with high-energy X-rays. However, particle therapy using protons and heavy ions has many advantages over conventional X-Ray radiotherapy. Heavy ion beams radiate tumors by focusing on cancerous tissue whilst sparing healthy tissue around it, making the treatment more effective than any other irradiation treatment.
Due to this, the European Union, through its H2020 research and innovation program, is funding the Heavy Ion Therapy Research Integration (HITRIplus) project which includes the objective of education and training in heavy ion therapy.
We are hence pleased to announce this one-week international specialized course on Heavy Ion Therapy Research with a focus on clinical aspects.
The course will be delivered by over 35 world-leading clinicians in the field. It will focus on head and neck, sarcoma, prostate, liver, pancreas, organ motion, treatment planning, re-irradiation, gynae and rare indications, innovative methods, present and future clinical trials and radiobiology.
The course also includes a "train-the-trainer" session inspired by the very popular May 2021 HITRIplus Masterclass school. This is based on the professional, open-source, research toolkit matRad, tailored to students’ and researchers’ requirements in treatment planning.
The specialized school will take place between the 3rd and the 7th of July 2023 entirely online and free of charge. It will also be recorded and made freely available online.
The school is primarily intended for medical students specializing or considering specializing in oncology as well as clinicians of all levels in radiotherapy and particle therapy. The ultimate goal is to address and prepare motivated oncologists in becoming part of the heavy ion therapy research community and who may then optimally exploit and access Europe's heavy ion therapy research infrastructures.
