Course overview
This course aims to provide students with Radiation Therapy specific theory and knowledge of treatment principles prior to an initial clinical placement. Content includes: introduction to cancer: review of epidemiology, pathology and staging of malignancy; principles and modalities of cancer treatment; nomenclature and terminology; treatment chart documentation, basic technical skills and land-marking; palliation: metastatic disease; palliative treatment techniques; whole brain and emergency radiation therapy treatment; breast cancer and treatment techniques; simple planning techniques and basic dosimetry calculations; imaging for diagnosis, digital imaging and PACS; staging and planning; introduction to dose and fractionation and application of radiobiology knowledge; cancer patients and grief; national protocols published on safety and quality in health care.
Course learning outcomes
- Identify the equipment used to plan and deliver radiation therapy treatment and the necessary landmarks and measurements for setting up patients for treatment.
- Interpret documentation in patient treatment records including commonly used terminology in Radiation Therapy.
- Discuss how the techniques of radiotherapy treatment for breast cancer and metastatic disease (including bone metastases) are related to the radiobiologic effect of radiation on tumour cells and normal tissue; anatomy; physiology and pathology including grade, stage and mode of spread.
- Demonstrate the techniques for palliative radiation therapy and emergency treatment in a simulated environment.
- Relate how different medical radiation modalities are stored, manipulated and used in the diagnosis, staging and treatment planning of cancer, recognising and reporting medically urgent and unexpected findings.
- Discuss and apply the principles of patient dose computation of photon beams and 2D and 3D treatment planning techniques, and dose and fractionation.
- Formulate strategies by adhering to national protocols published on safety and quality in health care to attend to patient care, comfort and safety, and patient communication, patient confidentiality, privacy issues and duty of care, particularly in cancer patients suffering from grief.
Availability
Class details
Adelaide City Campus East
Group 1
Class number 21310
Section TU01
Size 20
Available 0
Class number 29039
Section TU02
Size 20
Available 1
Class number 21306
Section LE01
Size 40
Available 1
Class number 21307
Section PR01
Size 13
Available 0
Class number 21308
Section PR02
Size 13
Available 0
Class number 27195
Section PR03
Size 13
Available 0
Class number 21309
Section SE01
Size 40
Available 1
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