TRAINING
Course Focused on Medical Physics in Proton Therapy
III Edition - May 2025
This degree scroll aims to fill a training gap in our country, providing the necessary knowledge to implement and address the internship clinical , in the field of medical physics, a proton therapy facility in order to treat cancer patients. This course will be taught by experienced professionals, who have already successfully addressed this challenge.
The course is aimed primarily at hospital radiophysicists with clinical experience and residents of this specialization program whose field of activity is radiotherapy. Additionally, the participation of doctoral students and researchers in medical physics, biophysics and biomedical engineering whose research has a clinical motivation in the field of radiotherapy is contemplated.
The course content includes the fundamental theoretical instructions in medical physics used in proton therapy, as well as the description of the processes of beam training , equipment acceptance, clinical commissioning, uncertainties in proton therapy and quality control procedures. The training is completed with clinical aspects of patient simulation, dosimetric planning and clinical treatments, as well as the establishment of work flows and logistic aspects. Together with the theoretical sessions, the course includes practical sessions on dosimetric planning and acquisition of commissioning and quality control measurements on the proton therapy equipment, using the dosimetric instrumentation necessary to guarantee the quality of the measured data .
Specialists in Hospital Radiophysics who will manage or participate in the development of the 10 proton therapy projects after the donation of the equipment by the "Amancio Ortega" Foundation.
Specialists in Hospital Radiophysics, senior and recent, with an interest in becoming a professional in proton therapy.
Physicists, engineers and other researchers in medical physics who want to learn or deepen their knowledge of the fundamental and clinical instructions of proton therapy.
Provide the technical knowledge necessary for the acceptance of the equipment. It describes the fundamental elements to understand the operation of the system, including the accelerator, the training beam process, nozzle elements such as the monitoring cameras and other beam monitoring and control systems, beam transport systems and safety interlocks that allow the Institution to accept the system for operation in clinical radiotherapy treatments.
To provide the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to address clinical commissioning. issue The physical characteristics of the beams are described, such as energy, lateral particle distribution, control of the emitted particles and absorbed dose, and the necessary measures to establish the calculation models to perform dosimetry on patients, as well as the calculation algorithms used. It also describes sets of quality control tests to guarantee the correct operation of the equipment over time, as well as their justification.
To describe the physical and clinical uncertainties in proton therapy and to motivate its approach in physical and clinical dosimetry. Specific aspects to be taken into account in proton beams for therapeutic medical use are discussed. The result of the first three objectives should be the understanding by the student of the operation of the system and its characterization, as well as the limitations of the established models.
To describe the management of clinical aspects in the simulation, planning and treatment process. The clinical process followed by a patient from the acquisition of data for treatment planning to its complete execution is addressed, with special interest in the specificities of proton therapy versus conventional radiotherapy.
The course is oriented to the implementation of a proton therapy facility and the subsequent clinical internship in the field of medical physics. It is also taught by professionals who have already dealt with this challenge and treat patients on a regular basis. Its orientation is theoretical-internship and the participation of doctoral students and researchers in medical physics, biophysics and biomedical engineering whose research has a clinical motivation in the field of radiotherapy is also contemplated.
Agenda:
presentation
development from project of CUN proton therapy
Social impact of proton therapy
Components of a proton therapy system
Interaction protons-subject
Uncertainties in proton therapy I
Fundamentals of clinical radiobiology
The proton beam and its transport. Concept of emittance
Clinical fundamentals of proton therapy
Measurements to characterize the proton beam I: IDD and spots
Measurements to characterize the proton beam II: absolute dose
Proton therapy detectors
Acceptance testing of the equipment and condition of reference letter
CT calibration for use in proton therapy
Quality control of proton therapy equipment
Uncertainties in proton therapy II
Fundamentals of simulation and dosimetric planning I
Fundamentals of simulation and dosimetric planning II
Fundamentals of simulation and dosimetric planning III
Patient-specific quality control
Planning with LET
Image processing for 4D planning: deformable registration
management of respiratory movement in proton therapy
Calculation algorithms: "pencil beam" and Monte Carlo
Model validation. Implementation
Temporal structure of the proton beam
Flows of work, management care and risk analysis in proton therapy.
Radiation protection
Proton therapy shielding study
Technological and research
RayStation" radiotherapy treatment planning system by RaySearch.
ProBeat-CR proton therapy system, from Hitachi, Ltd.
Detector systems for relative and absolute dosimetry from PTW Freiburg and IBA Dosimetry GmbH.
Executive Format
From Wednesday, May 7 to Saturday, May 10
First block of the course
Practices on machine (Saturday)
From Wednesday, May 21 to Saturday, May 24
Second block of the course
Practices on machine (Saturday)
Wednesday: From 15:00 to 18:00 h.
Thursday: From 09:00 to 17:00 h.
Friday: 09:00 to 17:00 h.
Saturday: From 08:00 to 15:00 h.
Director:
Dr. Juan Diego Azcona Armendariz
Antolín San Martín, Elena
University of Navarra
Arce Dubois, Pedro
CIEMAT
Aristu Mendióroz, José Javier
University of Navarra
Azcona Armendáriz, Juan Diego
University of Navarra
Burguete Mas, Javier
University of Navarra
Bertolet Reina, Alejandro
Harvard Medical School
Cabello García, José Pablo
University of Navarra
Cortés Giraldo, Miguel Antonio
University of Seville
Fayos-Solá Capilla, Roser
University of Navarra
García Sanz, Ana
Clínica Universidad de Navarra
Gomà Estadella, Carles
Hospital Clinic of Barcelona
López Herráiz, Joaquín
Complutense University of Madrid
Morán Velasco, Verónica
University of Navarra
Pedrero de Aristizábal, Diego
University of Navarra
Prezado Alonso, Yolanda
Singular Center for research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CIMUS)
Ramón García, Carlos
University of Navarra
Ruiz Arrébola, Samuel
Hospital U. "Marqués de Valdecilla".
Sánchez Parcerisa, Daniel
Complutense University of Madrid
Seco, Joao
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)
Vera Sánchez, Juan Antonio
Quirón Salud Proton Therapy Center
Viñals Muñoz, Alberto
University of Navarra
Price: 2,000 euros
admissions period: To be confirmed
Places: 24
Interested in the course with need for scholarships and grants, please contact dsimon@unav.es
More information
Cristina Morales
cmorales@unav.es