RTS4104 Radiation therapy principles and practice 1

This unit is the first of two units dealing specifically with the principles and applications of radiation therapy planning and treatment.

This unit explores the use of radiation therapy to treat metastatic disease.

The principles of patient centred interdisciplinary oncology are also discussed. The unit introduces the fundamental concepts related to radiation therapy planning and dosimetry, building on what the student learned in RTS2101 (Fundamentals of cancer and its management).

A systems-based approach will be used to deliver anatomy, physiology, pathology and oncology of the; female reproductive and male reproductive systems.

For each of the cancers studied, radiation therapy planning and dosimetry and treatment will be explored.

Patient care principles will be introduced together with alternate management strategies.

This unit will allow students to contextualise professional issues introduced in years 1 and 2 of the program such as; communication, ethics, patient care, cultural awareness and occupational health and safety as they relate to radiation therapy in the context of patient management in the radiation therapy centre.

This unit will include 3 weeks of simulated learning, where students can apply their knowledge to clinical cases using the cloud based planning computer software (Eclipse) and the virtual environment for RT training (VERT) resources.

Whilst studying these topics, students will be encouraged to critically reflect, analyse and synthesis relevant information from the literature and reflect on their clinical experiences to further develop and build their critical analysis skills.