ERHS 714 Radiation Therapy Physics

Syllabus

Fall, alternate years beginning 2008 (course announcement PDF format)

Instructor Name: Dr. Joseph Harmon

Contact Information
Email: Joseph.Harmon@colostate.edu
Phone: (970) 297-4063
Office Hours: MRB Room 326: M, W, F (2:00 – 3:00 PM)
VTH Room 152: T, TH (2:00 – 3:00 PM)
(Please make appointment in advance)

Textbook:

Faiz M. Khan, The Physics of Radiation Therapy, 3rd Ed 2003 (Required)
In addition to the required primary textbook, lecture material will be obtained from the following sources. Students are not expected to purchase these references which include, but are not limited to:

• F. M. Khan & R. A. Potish, Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology
• C. J. Karzmark & R. J Morton, A Primer on Theory and Operation of Linear Accelerators in Radiation Therapy
• G. C. Bentel, Radiation Therapy Planning, 2nd Ed
• H. E. Johns, J. R. Cunningham, The Physics of Radiology, 4th Ed
• F. Attix, Introduction to Radiological Physics & Radiation Dosimetry
• C. M. Washington & D. T. Leaver, Physics, Simulation & Treatment Planning
• Journal articles & AAPM Task Group reports

Course Description

Didactic lectures covering radiation therapy physics, production of photons and electrons for therapeutic use, teletherapy, brachytherapy, radiation protection and quality assurance.

Course Objectives

Students successfully completing the course will:

  Know the physical principles pertaining to the accurate and precise delivery of radiation for therapeutic purposes.
  Be able to apply physical principles to patient-specific radiotherapy problems in a typical clinical environment.
  Know and apply radiation safety principles in a radiotherapy environment.
  Be prepared for the physics portion of the American College of Veterinary Radiology (ACVR) board exam.

Class Schedule

Subject to revision.

Lesson	Date	Topic	Khan Reading
		Block I: Photon Beam Therapy
1	8/25	Clinical Radiation Generators	3, 4
2	8/27	Linac photon beam properties	5.1 – 5.10, 7
3	8/29	Linac photon beam calibration	6, 8.1-8.6
4 & 5	9/3	Linac photon beam dose calibration concepts I	9, 10
6	9/5	Linac photon beam dose calibration concepts II	9, 10, 11.4, 12.6
7	9/8	Manual photon dose calculations I	n/a
8	9/10	Manual photon dose calculations II	n/a
9	9/12	Commercial photon dose calculation algorithms	12.4, 12.5, 19.3
10	9/15	Exam 1	n/a
11	9/17	Patient immobilization and simulation	12.1 - 2, 12.7, 19.1 - 2
12	9/19	3 - D target definition and dose specification	11.8
13	9/22	3 - D treatment planning techniques I	11.1 - 3, 11.5 - 7, 13
14	9/24	3 - D treatment planning techniques II	11.1 - 3, 11.5 - 7, 13
15	9/26	Image guided radiation therapy (IGRT)	12.3
16	9/29	Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)	21
17	10/1	Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)	20
18	10/3	Respiratory gating and total body photon irradiation	18
19	10/6	Linac shielding techniques	16.6
20	10/8	Linac quality assurance testing	17
21	10/10	Exam 2	n/a
		Block II: Particle Beam Therapy
22	10/13	Electron beam interactions, characteristics and energy specification	14.1 - 2, 14.4
23	10/15	Linac electron beam calibration	14.3
24	10/17	Manual electron dose calculations	n/a
25	10/20	Commercial electron dose calculation algorithms	14.9
26	10/22	Electron beam treatment planning	14.5 - 7
27	10/24	Total skin electron irradiation	14.8
28	10/27	Inoperative therapy	n/a
29	10/29	Proton beam therapy	n/a
30	10/31	Neutron and pion therapy	n/a
31	11/3	Exam 3	n/a
		Block III: Isotope Therapy
32	11/5	Radioactive decay	2
33	11/7	Brachytherapy source characteristics	15.1
34	11/10	Calibration of brachytherapy sources	15.2
35	11/12	Calculation of dose distributions I	15.3 A, B
36	11/14	Calculation of dose distributions II	15.3 C, D
37	11/17	Manual brachytherapy dose calculations	n/a
38	11/19	Historial systems of implant dosimetry	15.4
39	11/21	Source localization and commercial dose calculation algorithms	15.5
40	12/1	LDR interstitial and intracavitary examples	15.6 - 7, 23
41	12/3	High dose rate brachytherapy	15.8, 22
42	12/5	Intravascular brachytherapy	24
43	12/8	Radioisotope therapy	n/a
44	12/10	Brachytherapy radiation protection	16.7
45	12/12	Review: practice Raphex exam	n/a

Instructional methodology

This class is a combination of lecture and discussion with emphasis on solving typical clinical problems.

Mode of delivery: Classroom instruction.

Method of evaluation:
Homework and the practice Raphex exam will make up 15% of the course grade. The midterm tests and final examination will be a written format comprised of multiple choice, true/false and written paragraph type questions/problems. There will be 3 midterm tests and a final examination, as listed in the class schedule. A combination of the homework/Raphex grade (15%), the 3 midterm tests (20% each) and the final exam (25%) will comprise the overall course grade. The final examination will be partially cumulative in nature.

F < 60%
D = 60 - 69%
C = 70 - 79%
B = 80 - 89%
A = 90 - 100%

Cheating will not be tolerated.

The first time you are caught cheating you will get a ZERO for the task (exam, quiz, plagiarism on a paper or any other task). Integrity is the cornerstone of all higher education and any infraction, however slight, is not excusable for any reason. If another is found to be complicit in cheating, they too will receive a zero. If you are discovered to be cheating a second time you will receive a failing grade for the class. The Course Director will make the determination if a student has been cheating.

Mailing Address
Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences
1618 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Phone: (970) 491-5222
Fax: (970) 491-0623
Email: ERHSDepartment