Curriculum
teacher profile teaching materials
○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Physicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Programme
● General introduction to radiotherapy.○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Core Documentation
● Podgoršak, E. B. (2016). Graduate Texts in Physics: Radiation Physics for MedicalPhysicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Type of delivery of the course
lectures with possibly a "hands-on" in the calculation room, on some simulation procedures of treatment plans.Type of evaluation
There are no exemptions or checks. There is only an oral exam at the end. teacher profile teaching materials
○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Physicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Mutuazione: 20401858 ISTITUZIONI DI FISICA MEDICA in Fisica LM-17 N0 ATTILI Andrea
Programme
● General introduction to radiotherapy.○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Core Documentation
● Podgoršak, E. B. (2016). Graduate Texts in Physics: Radiation Physics for MedicalPhysicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Type of delivery of the course
lectures with possibly a "hands-on" in the calculation room, on some simulation procedures of treatment plans.Type of evaluation
There are no exemptions or checks. There is only an oral exam at the end. teacher profile teaching materials
○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Physicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Mutuazione: 20401858 ISTITUZIONI DI FISICA MEDICA in Fisica LM-17 N0 ATTILI Andrea
Programme
● General introduction to radiotherapy.○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Core Documentation
● Podgoršak, E. B. (2016). Graduate Texts in Physics: Radiation Physics for MedicalPhysicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Type of delivery of the course
lectures with possibly a "hands-on" in the calculation room, on some simulation procedures of treatment plans.Type of evaluation
There are no exemptions or checks. There is only an oral exam at the end. teacher profile teaching materials
○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Physicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Mutuazione: 20401858 ISTITUZIONI DI FISICA MEDICA in Fisica LM-17 N0 ATTILI Andrea
Programme
● General introduction to radiotherapy.○ Physical and biological rationale of ionizing radiation in cancer treatments.
○ Dose-effect curve, TCP, NTCP and therapeutic index.
○ Dose-volume histograms. Physical and biological selectivity.
● Introductory overview of radiotherapy techniques (from x-rays to ion beams):
○ Photon radiotherapy: conventional, conformational, IMRT. Brachytherapy.
○ Ion beam radiotherapy: hadrontherapy.
■ Notes on Facility (active and under development) and dissemination in the world.
● Classification of ionizing radiation: the problem of choosing the type of radiation
for therapeutic applications
○ Definition of relevant physical and radiobiological quantities.
○ Physical selectivity:
■ Directly and indirectly ionizing radiation
■ Low-LET and high-LET radiation. Bragg's peak.
■ Examples for indirectly ionizing: photons, neutrons; directly
Ionizing: electrons, positrons, ions.
○ Biological selectivity:
■ Poorly ionizing and highly ionizing radiation. The concept
trace and micro/nano-dosimetric aspects.
■ Relationship between LET and "biological efficacy"
● Physical aspects of hadrontherapy: interaction of ion beams with matter.
○ Stopping Power
■ Classification of stopping power.
■ Derivation of stopping power equations (Bohr, Bethe approaches)
and Bloch, corrective factors)
■ The average excitation potential. Mixtures.
○ Energy loss and range straggling.
■ CSDA approximations
■ Landau-Vavilov theory
○ Lateral beam widening
■ Multiple scattering. Coulomb interactions with target nuclei. Equations
by Bothe and Moliere.
○ Nuclear interactions and fragmentation
■ Modelling approaches: INC and QMD models.
■ Target fragmentation and projectile fragmentation
■ The "tail of fragments" and mixtures of ions.
● Insight: in-beam PET
● Radiobiological aspects.
○ Basics of radiobiology
■ Spatial and temporal scales of radiobiological processes.
■ Oncogenesis.
■ Cell survival: definition, damage processes (direct and
indirect), repair mechanisms. Hypoxia. Mutations and transformations.
■ Clonogenic experiments and the L-Q model.
■ Temporal effects and fractionation.
● Insight: the FLASH effect
○ Radiobiological effects of ion beams
■ Relative biological efficacy (RBE): definition, systematics, complexity
and physical aspects.
■ The Oxygen Enhancement Ratio (OER).
● Physical and radiobiological modelling for ion beams in clinical applications
○ Reference to the concepts of trace and clustering of damage.
○ The "Local Effect Model" (LEM)
○ Kinetic equations for cell damage and repair. Radio-chemical aspects.
○ Microdosimetric models
■ Mathematical basis of microdosimetry. Stochastic aspects.
■ The Microdosimetry-Kinetic model (MKM)
● In-depth: advanced MKM approaches: Monte Carlo, effects
Temporal (FLASH effect), OER, Mutations.
○ TCP/NTCP models
■ Deepening: models to assess the risk of secondary cancers.
● "Dose Delivery" and "Dose Shaping"
○ Classification of ion beam acceleration systems and types of facilities
■ Synchrotrons, cyclotrons and laser-driven.
○ General aspects of dose measurements, in-beam monitoring, and radiation protection.
○ General aspects of 3D dose release modulation.
■ The spread-out Bragg Peak (SOBP).
■ The gantry system.
■ Passive dose-shaping systems (3D Range Modulator)
■ Active scanning systems (raster scan and energy modulation)
● Simulation and optimization of treatment plans: the "Treatment Planning System"
○ General description of TPS and planning procedures
■ Image acquisition (CT), segmentation, prescription and definition
dose-volume constraints, inverse planning, DVH calculation.
○ Monte Carlo simulations for dose calculation
■ General aspects of particle tracing.
■ Use of CT for patient modelling and identification of
elemental composition of tissues.
■ Variance reduction systems
○ Pencil-beam algorithms and WEPL approximation for fast dose calculation.
○ Details on "reverse planning"
■ Decomposition in pencil beam and degrees of freedom
■ Examples of optimization algorithms
○ Radiobiological optimization
■ Methods of integration of radiobiological models in TPS calculations with
RBE-weighted dose (RWD). Pre-mixing and post-mixing approaches.
■ Examples: RWD distribution calculations with LEM and MKM.
● Practical activity and Hand-on: sample exercises with the use of codes
Open-source for radiobiological calculations and treatment simulation.
○ Download and install codes: Topas, Survival and R-Planit.
○ Monte Carlo simulation exercises (code: Topas/Geant4)
■ Evaluation of dose distribution dose released by an ion beam
in a virtual patient.
■ Evaluation of microdosimetric spectra in a cell nucleus for
interaction with ions.
○ Radiobiological simulation exercises (code: Survival)
■ Calculation of the probability of cell survival for a sample of
cells irradiated with ion beams with the MKM or LEM model.
○ Planning exercise of a treatment plan (code: R-Planit)
■ Calculation and optimization of a treatment starting from the CT of a
virtual patient and clinical prescription given.
■ Calculation of DVH of the optimized plan.
○ (Deepening: combination of the results of previous years for the
evaluation of RWD distribution in the treated patient.
Core Documentation
● Podgoršak, E. B. (2016). Graduate Texts in Physics: Radiation Physics for MedicalPhysicists.
● Hobbie, R. K., Roth, B. J. (2007). Intermediate physics for medicine and biology.
Germany: Springer New York.
● M. Joiner & A. van der Kogel (eds.) (2009). Basic Clinical Radiobiology. Edward Arnold.
● Paganetti, H. (ed.) (2012). Proton Therapy Physics. CRC Press.
● MA, C.-M. C., & Lomax, T. (eds.) (2013). Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy. CRC Press
Type of delivery of the course
lectures with possibly a "hands-on" in the calculation room, on some simulation procedures of treatment plans.Type of evaluation
There are no exemptions or checks. There is only an oral exam at the end.