This course will emphasize to the learner the importance of professionalism and ethical practice, including continued professional development and positive workplace relationships. Emphasis will be placed on the radiation oncology, specifically proton beam therapy, working environment.

This course will cover the importance of the radiation therapist’s understanding of proton therapy to effectively educate and prepare the patient for their proton therapy journey.

In this course, the participant will come to have a better understanding of patient care assessment. The importance of thorough patient screening and evaluation, along with effective communication and documentation will be discussed. Specific instances as related to pediatric patients will be provided. The participant should complete this course with a comprehensive knowledge of patient assessment in the overall scheme of patient care.

This course will provide the learner with a comprehensive overview of the basic physics principles of proton beam radiation therapy. The topic of proton radiation biology and relative biological effectiveness [RBE] will be detailed and the learner will gain a further understanding of treatment delivery to proton therapy patients.

This course is designed to increase the learner’s knowledge of the technical aspects of proton therapy. Special attention will be given to the proton therapy system, including accelerators and beam transport lines. The learner will be informed about beam spreading techniques, along with beam parameters and the impact of patient geometry on proton beam radiation therapy.

This course is designed to provide the participant with specifics regarding Quality Assurance and Quality Control as related to proton therapy. A discussion of proton therapy systems and facilities will take place. The learner should possess a better understanding of patient positioning, alignment, and monitoring following the completion of this course.

This course will educate the learner on proton procedures involving the treatment of CNS and Head & NeckMalignancies. Special attention will be given to common pathologies, simulation and immobilization, treatment planning protocols, treatment procedures, and follow-up care.

This course will educate the learner on proton procedures involving the treatment of breast and thorax malignancies. Special attention will be given to common pathologies, simulation and immobilization, treatment planning protocols, treatment procedures, and follow-up care.

This course will educate the learner on proton procedures involving the treatment of GI, GU, and ReproductiveMalignancies. Special attention will be given to common pathologies, simulation and immobilization, treatment planning protocols, treatment procedures, and follow-up care.

This course will engage the learner in a discussion of simulation and immobilization procedures as relevant to proton therapy treatments. The participant will understand the processes involved with acquiring simulation orders and any pertinent documentation protocols. Numerous positioning devices, including custom molds, bite blocks, incline boards, and fiducials will be explained. Additionally, there will be a discussion of image evaluation and contrast used during simulation.

This course will provide the learner with an overview of simulation procedures used in proton therapy. Various imaging modalities, including CT, MRI, and PET/CT, will be discussed and their roles in proton therapy treatment planning will be explained. The presenter will clarify safety measures and imaging protocols associated with each simulation method.

This course will provide the learner with a comprehensive understanding of target volumes, organs at risk, and special considerations to be taken during the treatment planning process for proton therapy. Additionally, the details for determining and applying radiation dose prescriptions will be explored. Radiation therapy remains a cornerstone of management for patients with cancer. The radiation dose is carefully determined for each patient to achieve disease control while still respect the tolerance of surrounding normal tissue. This learning module will explain the practice of defining target volume, organs at risk, dose prescription and special factors that influence the radiation dose level.

Proton therapy has become a more widely used radiation modality for many anatomic sites. The main advantage of using proton beams lies in their depth dose characteristics. The process of preparing proton treatment plan is far more complex than conventional photon. This learning module will explain different proton dose optimization techniques, dose uncertainties and mitigation strategies.

This course will provide the learner with a comprehensive overview of proton therapy including physical characteristics and production. Various methods of beam delivery will be discussed, along with machine components and treatment room designs. The course will offer descriptions of future innovations and developments.