Theoretical education and clinical training completed – Radiation Therapy
1. The nature and content of the theoretical education completed. Examples of such courses and the content include:
- biological sciences: biology, anatomy and relational (cross-sectional) anatomy, physiology, pathobiology of disease
- radiation sciences: mathematics, physics, radiation physics, radiation protection, radiobiology, comparative imaging modalities
- radiotherapy methodology: techniques and procedures, radiation beams and their applications (dosimetry), external beams, target volume, radiation dose, treatment plans, peak scatter factor, percent depth dose, tissue air ratio, tissue phantom ratio, beam energy, treatment distance, patient dose calculations, external beam therapy techniques
- radiation therapy equipment theory: linear accelerators, fluoroscopic simulators, CT simulators, brachytherapy equipment, superficial treatment units, low-voltage treatment units, orthovoltage treatment units, treatment planning systems, quality assurance of radiation therapy equipment, digital and analog imaging systems
- patient care: clinical oncology, epidemiology and etiology, clinical signs and symptoms, routes of spread, pathology, staging systems, management approaches, diagnostic & staging workup, prognostic factors, decision-making skills for treatment options, clinical outcomes for a variety of malignancies
- treatment planning: planning methods for photon and electron beams, contouring, quality assurance, beam modifications for patient data, 3D conformal planning, brachytherapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy, stereotactic radiation therapy
- behavioural sciences: health care systems and ethical issues, research methods, written communication skills (records and reporting), interpersonal communication skills, health legislation and professional practice
2. The nature and content of the clinical training completed. Examples include:
- the names of hospitals and cancer centres where the clinical training was completed
- whether the clinical training was supervised and the qualifications of the supervisor
- types of radiation therapy equipment used during clinical training: linear accelerators, photon beams, electron beams, brachytherapy, fluoroscopic simulators, CT simulators, digital and analog imaging systems
- types of techniques and procedures performed during clinical training: performing simulation, and brachytherapy procedures, treatment and dosimetry planning for breast, genitourinary, lung, gastrointestinal, head/neck, gynecology, central nervous system, palliative and emergency cases, tattooing, constructing immobilization devices, performing dose calculations (manually and with computers), acquiring and reviewing pre and post treatment images
- types of patient care procedures performed during clinical training: infection control, aseptic techniques, emergency response procedures, physiological monitoring, assessment of patient’s condition, responding to patient’s physical and psychological needs, assessment of contraindications to the treatment, ensuring consent, postprocedural care, and patient education
