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2016　Therapeutic Radiological Physics

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Academic unit or major
Energy Sciences
Instructor(s)
Kohno Toshiyuki  Mizuno Hideyuki  Matsufuji Naruhiro  Mizuno Hideyuki  Kanematsu Nobuyuki  Ohno Yumiko 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Intensive ()  
Group
-
Course number
ZIF.D432
Credits
2
Academic year
2016
Offered quarter
3-4Q
Syllabus updated
2016/12/14
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
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Course description and aims

The goal of this course is to understand radiation treatment from its physical aspect. Focusing on absorbed dose, the most important physical quantity for radiation treatment, we will begin with mechanisms of interaction which determine its distribution within the patient's body. We will deal with system of measuring units for radiation, beginning with absorbed dose, techniques for calculating the dose distribution within the body for radiation treatment, dosage and the resulting clinical effects, and techniques for measuring absorbed dose. The instructor will include real examples from clinical settings while providing an understanding of the physical behavior of therapy radiation, and methods to apply to actual treatment. In addition, the instructor will systematically introduce the newest radiation therapy techniques such as intensity modulated radiation therapy and particle radiation therapy.
At first look medicine and physics may seem quite disparate, but due to technological advances in recent years, radiation therapy is making great strides. For appropriate and safe usage and problem solving, and to improve its sophistication, there is a strong demand to create and expand the medical physicists with the advanced physics expertise for supporting this technology. This course covers how to apply physics knowledge to the medical jobplace, and can also be viewed as a case study. Because these methods can also be broadly applied for a range of medical uses aside from therapy, this can be considered the most effective course for tying together physics, engineering, and medicine. Students are expected to applying basic science knowledge to actual problems through this course, and to taste the pleasure of solving problems.

Student learning outcomes

Students will acquire the following skills from taking this course.
1) Be able to explain what absorbed dose is, based on the interaction between radiation and substances
2) Be able to explain the relationship between types of radiation and absorbed dose distribution within a substance
3) Be able to explain measurement techniques for an absorbed dose that corresponds to the type of radiation
4) Be able to calculate the behavior of radiation entering the human body, and explain methods for finding the dose distribution
5) Be able to estimate the biological and therapy effects from an administered absorbed dose
6) Be able to explain radiation therapy modes currently in use

Keywords

dosimetry, radiotherapy, ion-bem radiotherapy, radiation measurement, biological effect

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Lecture is given based on a Powerpoint material by a lecturer. Towards the end of class, students are given exercise problems related to the lecture given that day to solve. To prepare for class, students should read the course schedule section and check what topics will be covered. Required learning should be completed outside of the classroom for preparation and review purposes.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Interaction of X-rays, gamma-rays, and charged-particles with matter, generation of X-ray and its quality (Kohno) Understand fundamental physical processes in interaction of radiations with matter
Class 2 Outline of particle-therapy treatment planning (Kanematsu) Understand particle beams and delivery systems and patient-dose calculation and evaluation methods
Class 3 X-ray beam therapy (Classical radiation therapy) (Ohno) Understand methods, apparatus, and techniques of X-ray beam therapy
Class 4 Electron beam therapy (Ohno) Explain the dose distribution of electron beams and cases for electron beam RT
Class 5 Stereotactic radiation therapy, intensity modurated radiation therapy (Mizuno) Introduce the modern radiation therapy techniques and understand the optimization algorithm
Class 6 Brachytherapy (Mizuno) Introduce brachytherapy techniques and understand the dose calculation algorithm
Class 7 Fundamentals of dosimetry (Matsufuji) Explain the concept of dosimetry-related units
Class 8 Instruments and methods for radiation dosimetry (Matsufuji) Understand the methods of dosimetric measument with respect to the radiation of concern
Class 9 Modeling of biological and clinical effect (Matsufuji) Understand the model to estimate the clinical outcomes based on the absorbed dose to be given
Class 10 Outline of ion-beam radiotherapy (Matsufuji) Explain the outline and characteristics of ion-beam radiotherapy

Textbook(s)

None required.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Course materials are provided during class.
Introduction to Radiological Physics and Radiation Dosimetry, F. H. Attix, A Wiley-Interscience Publication, NY ISBN 0-471-01146-0

Assessment criteria and methods

Students' knowledge of the physics in radiation therapy, and their ability to apply them to problems will be assessed by the exercise problems in each class.

Related courses

  • ZIF.D411 ： Biology for Radiotherapy
  • ZIF.D435 ： Radiotherapeutics
  • ZIF.D433 ： Medical Nuclear Physics
  • ZIF.D434 ： Advanced Course on Radiation Physics and Radiological Technology

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

No prerequisites.

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