Join us at the upcoming event The Future of Medicine – The Role of the Doctors in 2025, we are delighted to announce our speaker at 3.40pm will be; Professor David Thwaites, Director of the Institute of Medical Physics will be presenting on “Towards adaptive biological targeting in radiation oncology using hybrid imaging and treatment delivery systems.”
Radiotherapy advances have always been intrinsically linked to physics and technology developments. Increasingly sophisticated equipment and methods have evolved for treatment delivery, treatment planning (modelling the interaction of radiation beams and human tissues/structures) and imaging for radiotherapy (for diagnosis, staging, target and other delineation, as well as for verification and image-guidance of the treatment). These have increasingly relied on computer control and optimisation and have enabled continuing improved precision in geometric targeting. The current standard paradigm uses anatomical imaging (CT-simulation, MRI), aided by functional imaging (MRI, PET-CT), as input to treatment planning and uses hybrid geometric imaging (CBCT) and delivery (linear accelerators) systems for image-guided closely conformal (IMRT, VMAT) targeted treatment. Current developments using these combined technologies are for image-guided adaptive radiotherapy to account for changes during treatment and for motion management for moving targets. The next generation, just being developed and beginning to be clinical and based on MRI-simulation and more functional imaging for treatment planning, will utilise hybrid delivery systems with MR imaging (MRI-linacs). This promises better image-guidance and adaptive radiotherapy; but also increasing biological targeting, rather than anatomical targeting. These and other linked developments and their clinical potential for improved cancer treatment outcomes will be discussed.
Professor David Thwaites is the Director of the Institute of Medical Physics at The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia, having previously worked in Edinburgh and Leeds Cancer Centres and universities. He has a long track record of bridging clinical and academic medical physics in radiation physics, dosimetry, modelling, novel and advanced treatment technology and imaging for radiation oncology. His current post is supported by, and advisory to, the NSW Ministry of Health, with remits including working with clinical departments to encourage and support translational research. He has been involved in many scientific, clinical, academic, educational and professional initiatives at UK, European, Australian and world levels and is the Physics Editor of the leading radiation oncology journal, Radiotherapy and Oncology. He has published approaching 200 peer-reviewed papers or equivalent, including 4 books. He was awarded honorary Fellowship of the RCR in 2008, the 2014 ESTRO Emmanuel van der Schueren award and a 2013 IOMP 50th anniversary award for contributions to medical physics or radiation oncology respectively in the UK, Europe and internationally.
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