| CODE | RAD3114 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Clinical Radiotherapy Practice 3: Linear Accelerator | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 7 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Radiography | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit presents radiography students with the application of theoretical radiotherapy principles into practice. This study-unit is made up of clinical practice, tutorials, demonstrations, clinical case scenarios, student centred learning and student managed learning. This study-unit will build on and develop the principles of radiotherapy and oncology, patient care and related areas and their application to clinical practice on the linear accelerator, including image verification for setup. Students attend clinical practice related to this study-unit during the academic year. Clinical placements are assigned in consultation with approved clinical centres. Students will work under the direct supervision of qualified radiographers and will undertake 175 hours of practice in a linear accelerator unit treating different areas of the body (head and neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis and extremities). Study-Unit Aims: This study-unit aims to apply students' knowledge of radiotherapy principles related to linear accelerator, including file verification, patient communication, setup and verification and treatment delivery into clinical practice. Patient care and safety are also developed in this study-unit, including assessment and management of side-effects. This study-unit provides a practical learning environment which encourages competent, confident and safe working practices to achieve a competency level 4 (a procedure that the student is able to perform consistently well with no assistance, but is able to recognise limitations when advice should be sought) in the tasks mentioned above. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the terminology used within radiotherapy and oncology; - Apply radiotherapy principles in the administration of treatments using a linear accelerator; - Understand the working mechanisms of the equipment used to deliver radiotherapy and ancillary equipment, including immobilization devices; - Justify radiotherapy treatments for different clinical cases; - Explain in detail the procedure of a radiotherapy treatment, including setup verification; and - Identify the most common side effects and corresponding management. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Prepare and administer radiotherapy using a linear accelerator; - Assess the patient file / local database for relevant information on the treatment; - Communicate effectively with the patient and/or carer; - Setup and perform the necessary checks (including imaging) prior to delivery of the radiotherapy treatment; - Ensure patient safety at all time; - Practice a high level of patient care for patients receiving external beam radiotherapy treatment; and - Provide specific advice on radiation effects on various regions of the body and advise on the management of these effects. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - PR Symonds, JA Mills, A Duxbury (2019). Walter and Miller's Textbook of Radiotherapy: Radiation Physics, Therapy and Oncology 8th Edition. Elsevier - Beyzadeoglu, M., Ozyigit, G., & Ebruli, C. (2010). Basic Radiation Oncology. Springer Berlin Heidelberg - Sourati, Ainaz, Ahmad Ameri, and Mona Malekzadeh. Acute Side Effects of Radiation Therapy : A Guide to Management. Springer, 2017. Supplementary Readings: - Barret, Ann, Jane Dobbs, Stephen Morris, and Tom Roques. Practical Radiotherapy Planning. 4th ed. Arnold, 2009 - P Bridge, DJ Tipper. CT Anatomy for Radiotherapy. M&K Publishing - Videtic, Gregory M.M., Neil Woody, and Andrew D. Vassil. Handbook of Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology. 2nd ed. Demos Medical, 2015. Print. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Placement, Independent Study & Tutorial | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Gerbert Van Dijk (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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