Multidisciplinary Oncology Meetings

Schedule of Events
Faculty
CME

Program Description
Established advanced radiation-therapy techniques such as 3D conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided brachytherapy, inverse treatment planning, and stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy, all exhibit a high degree of complexity an d large clinic- and hardware-dependent variations in clinical implementation. In addition, emerging high-technology procedures, such as image guided external beam therapy, adaptive radiation therapy, motion adaptive radiation therapy and intraoperative brachytherapy planning, exhibit high levels of automation and near real-time execution of sophisticated image–processing operations such as autocontouring, image registration and plan optimization that render traditional manual verification procedures impractical. The conventional quality assurance paradigm, as illustrated by TG-40, consists of developing a consensus menu of tests and device performance specifications from a generic process model that is assumed to apply to all clinical applications of the device. The complexity, variation in practice patterns and level of automation of high-technology radiotherapy renders this “one size fits all” prescriptive QA paradigm ineffective or cost-prohibitive variations if the high-probability error pathways of all possible clinical applications of the device are to be covered.

This comprehensive three-day program of invited talks will address the broad range of quality assurance concepts and procedures used in modern day radiation therapy, including both established and emerging image-based and adaptive radiation therapy modalities. The objectives of this program are to assess and critique the currently available QA guidance and methods of formulating QA protocols as well as to explore risk-informed industrial engineering approaches to radiation therapy error mitigation.

Specifically, this program seeks to:
Identify practice areas where currently recommended QA guidance is adequate (e.g., brachytherapy source and remote afterloader QA.)

Identify practice areas where current approaches to developing prescriptive fixed QA protocols are adequate, but specific guidance needs to be updated in light of modern RT applications (e.g., MLC QA.)
Identify emerging or established practice areas where fixed QA protocols either fail to adequately safeguard patients or would be cost-ineffective.

Evaluate the potential for more formal error mitigation and process analysis methods of industrial engineering to more optimally focus available QA resources on process components that have significant likelihood of compromising patient safety or treatment outcomes.

Evaluate the feasibility of mounting a multidisciplinary approach to developing more flexible and cost-effective risk-informed QA programs in radiation therapy.

The participants will provide an up-to-date status of QA efforts and ongoing issues for advanced technology modalities and their associated equipment including computerized treatment planning systems, imaging used in treatment planning, treatment delivery equipment, on-board imaging and computer networking, and clinical trials QA. The faculty includes many nationally known experts in the field of radiation oncology actively involved in quality assurance effort.

Program Committee
Jeffrey F. Williamson, Ph.D. - ASTRO
Jatinder R. Palta, Ph.D. - ASTRO
Mary Kaye Martel, Ph.D. – AAPM
Bruce R. Thomadsen, Ph.D. – AAPM
Geoffrey S. Ibbott, Ph.D. - 2005 NCI Panel Co-Chair
James A. Purdy, Ph.D. - 2005 NCI Panel Co-Chair
James A. Deye, Ph.D. - NCI

Continuing Medical Education

Physicists
Application has been made to the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education Program for CAMPEP credit.

Schedule of Events

Tentative Program Schedule As of 11/15/06

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007
7:00 a.m. – 7:40 a.m.	Registration and Working Breakfast (Continental)
7:40 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.	Welcome/Opening Remarks	James Deye, Ph.D. National Institute of Health
Session I: Existing Quality Assurance Programs and Paradigms		Moderator: Jake van Dyk, Ph.D. London Regional Cancer Center
7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.	Existing Quality Assurance Guidelines and Paradigms: Programs That Work Well
	Existing Quality Assurance Program and Paradigm for External Beam Radiation Therapy	Jatinder Palta, Ph.D. University of Florida/Davis Cancer Center
	Current Brachytherapy Quality Assurance Guidance: Does it Meet the Challenges of Emerging Image Guided Technologies?	Jeffery F. Williamson, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.	Quality Assurance of Radiation Treatment Planning Systems: Current Status and Remaining Challenges	Jake van Dyk, Ph.D. London Regional Cancer Center
9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.	Developing Quality Assurance Processes for Image Guided Adaptive Radiation Therapy	Di Yan, D.Sc. William Beaumont Hospital
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	Discussion
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	BREAK
Session II: Quality Assurance of Imaging and Planning Technology for Image Guided Radiation Therapy: I		Moderator: Di Yan, D.Sc. William Beaumont Hospital
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.	Quality Assurance of Serial 3D Image Registration, Fusion and Auto-contouring for Image Guided Radiation Therapy	Michael Sharpe, Ph.D. William Beaumont Hospital
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.	Quality Assurance for PET and SPECT for Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning	Lei Xing, Ph.D Stanford University
11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.	Quality Assurance for MRS/MRI Tumor Localization and Lymph Node Staging	Mukesh Harsinghani, M.D. Massachusetts General Hospital
11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Discussion
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.	Working Lunch
Session III: Quality Assurance of Imaging and Planning Technology for Image Guided Radiation Therapy: II		Moderator: James Balter Ph.D. University of Michigan
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.	Quality Assurance for kV and MV In-room Imaging and Localization for On- and Offline Setup Error Correction	James Balter, Ph.D. University of Michigan
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Quality Assurance of Ultrasound Imaging and Target Localization for Online Setup Correction	Wolfgang Tomè, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Quality Assurance Program for Radiographic, Fluoroscopic and Cone-beam CT Image Guided Radiation Therapy	David Jaffray, Ph.D. Princess Margaret Hospital
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Quality Assurance of Onboard MV CT Imaging and Target Localization Systems for On- and Offline Image Guided Radiation Therapy	Katja Langen, Ph.D. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center-Orlando
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	Discussion
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	BREAK
Session IV: Quality Assurance and the Clinical Trials		Moderator: James A. Purdy, Ph.D. University of California, Davis Medical Center
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Quality Assurance Issues in Conducting Multi-institutional Advanced Technology Clinical Trials	James A. Purdy, Ph.D. University of California, Davis Medical Center
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Challenges in Credentialing Institutions and Participants in Advanced Technology Multi-institutional Clinical Trials	Geoffrey Ibbott, Ph.D. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Processes for Quality Improvement in Radiation Oncology Clinical Trials	Thomas J. Fitzgerald, M.D. University of Massachusetts Medical Center
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	International Perspective on Quality Assurance and New Techniques in Radiation Medicine: Outcomes of an IAEA Conference	Ken Shortt, Ph.D. International Atomic Energy Agency
5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.	Discussion
5:45 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.	Discussion of the Day’s Topics (whole audience)	Bruce Thomadsen, Ph.D., Moderator University of Wisconsin
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.	Working Reception (Meet and Greet)
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2007
7:30 a.m. – 7:55 a.m.	Working Breakfast (Continental)
7:55 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.	Announcements
Session V: Delivery System Quality Assurance Issues		Moderator: Mary Martel, Ph.D. University of Chicago Medical Center
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.	MLC Performance and Reliability Requirements for IMRT LoSasso Presentation Liu Presentation Bayouth Presentation	Tom LoSasso (Varian) Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Chihray Liu (Elekta) University of Florida/ Davis Cancer Center John Bayouth (Siemens) University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.	Quality Assurance Issues for Computer-controlled Treatment Delivery: This Isn’t your Old RV System Any More!	Benedick Fraass, Ph.D. University of Michigan Medical Center
9:15 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.	Quality Assurance Challenges for Motion-adaptive Radiation Therapy: Gating, Breath-hold and 4D-CT	Steve Jiang, Ph.D. Massachusetts General Hospital
9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	Discussion
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	BREAK
10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.	Quality Assurance of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy	Jatinder Palta, Ph.D. University of Florida/Davis Cancer Center
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.	Helical TomoTherapy Quality Assurance	John Balog, Ph.D. Mohawk Valley Medical Physics, PLLC
11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	Discussion
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	Working Lunch
Session VI: Stereotactic RS and RT		Moderator: James Galvin, D.Sc. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.	Linac and Gamma Knife-based Stereotactic Intracranial Radiosurgery: Challenges and Successes of Existing Quality Assurance Guidelines and Paradigms	Steven J. Goetsch, Ph.D. San Diego Gamma Knife Center
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.	Quality Assurance Procedures for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy	James Galvin, D.Sc. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Quality Assurance Challenges in Online, Image Guided Tumor Tracking: CyberKnife-based SRS/SRT	Todd Pawlicki, Ph.D. University of California, San Diego
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Quality Assurance of Immobilization and Target Localization Systems for Frameless Stereotactic Cranial and Extracranial Hypofractionated Radiotherapy	Timothy D. Solberg, Ph.D. University of Nebraska Medical Center
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Discussion
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	BREAK
Session VII: Brachytherapy Quality Assurance Issues		Moderator: Jeffrey F. Williamson, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	Quality Assurance Issues for Ultrasound, CT and MR Guided Brachytherapy	Robert Cormack, Ph.D. Harvard Medical Center
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Clinical Practice and Challenges in Quality Assurance of Modern Brachytherapy Sources	Wayne Butler, Ph.D. Schiffler Cancer Center
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Quality Assurance Issues for Therapeutic Application of Radiopharmaceuticals and Radioactive Microspheres	William A. Dezarn, Ph.D. Wake Radiology Oncology Services
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Quality Assurance Issues for Intraoperative Planning and Adaptive Replanning of Image Guided Prostate Implants	Marco Zaider, Ph.D. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.	Discussion
Plenary Presentation
5:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.	Safety and Accountability in Health Care: From Past to Present	William Hendee, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
5:45 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.	Discussion	Moderator: Jeffrey F. Williamson, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.	Adjourn for the Day
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2007
7:30 a.m. – 7:55 a.m.	Working Breakfast (Continental)
7:55 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.	Announcements
Session VIII: New Paradigm for Radiotherapy QM 1		Moderator: Benedick Fraass, Ph.D. University of Michigan Medical Center
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	Errors Seen in Radiation Therapy	Benedick Fraass, Ph.D. University of Michigan Medical Center
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Critique of the Traditional Quality Assurance Paradigm	Bruce Thomadsen, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	Review of AAPM TG 100	Saiful Huq, Ph.D. UPMC Cancer Center
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	System Engineering and Patient Safety	Ben-Tzion Karsh, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	Discussion
10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	BREAK
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Error Prevention as Developed in Airlines	Timothy J. Logan Southwest Airlines
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	Improving Patient Safety in Anesthesia: A Success Story?	Richard Botney, M.D. Oregon Health & Science University
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Discussion
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.	Working Lunch
Session IX: New Paradigm for Radiotherapy QM 2		Moderator: William Hendee, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.	Tools for Developing a QM Program: Proactive Tools (Process Mapping, Value Stream Mapping, Fault Tree Analysis, and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)	Frank Rath, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Tools for Developing a QM Program: Human Factors and Systems Engineering Tools	Barrett Caldwell, Ph.D. Purdue University
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.	Linking Quality Assurance to Performance Improvement	Louise Warrick, DrPH Healthcare Consultant
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Taxonometric Applications in Radiation Therapy	Peter Dunscombe, Ph.D. Tom Baker Cancer Center
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	Discussion
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	BREAK
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Taxonometric Guidance	Bruce Thomadsen, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Variation in Process Behavior	Todd Pawlicki, Ph.D. University of California, San Diego
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Discussion of the Day’s Presentations (whole audience)	William Hendee, Ph.D., Moderator University of Wisconsin
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.	Summary of Conference	James A. Purdy, Ph.D. University of California/Davis Medical Center
6:00 p.m.	ADJOURN

Invited Faculty

John Balog, Ph.D. Mohawk Valley Medical Physics, PLLC Rome, N.Y.	Ben-Tzion Karsh, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
James Balter, Ph.D. University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich.	Katja Langen, Ph.D. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center-Orlando Orlando, Fla.
John Bayouth –Siemens University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Iowa City, Iowa	Chihray Liu – Elekta University of Florida/Davis Cancer Center Gainesville, Fla.
Richard Botney, M.D. Oregon Health and Science University Portland, Ore.	Timothy J. Logan Southwest Airlines Dallas
Wayne Butler, Ph.D. Schiffler Cancer Center Wheeling, W.Va.	Tom LoSasso – Varian Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York
Barrett Caldwell, Ph.D. Purdue University West Lafayette, Ind.	Mary Martel, Ph.D. University of Chicago Medical Center Chicago
Robert Cormack, Ph.D. Harvard Medical School Boston	Jatinder Palta, Ph.D. University of Florida/Davis Cancer Center Gainesville, Fla.
Jim Deye, Ph.D. National Institute of Health Rockville, Md.	Todd Pawlicki, Ph.D. University of California, San Diego San Diego
William A. Dezarn, Ph.D. Wake Radiology Oncology Services Cary, N.C.	James A. Purdy, Ph.D. University of California/Davis Medical Center Sacramento, Calif.
Peter Dunscombe, Ph.D. Tom Baker Cancer Centre Calgary, Alberta, Canada	Frank Rath, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
Thomas J. Fitzgerald, M.D. University of Massachusetts Medical Center Worchester, Mass.	Michael Sharpe, Ph.D. William Beaumont Hospital Toronto
Benedick Fraass, Ph.D. University of Michigan Medical Center Ann Arbor, Mich.	Ken Shortt, Ph.D. International Atomic Energy Agency Vienna, Austria
James Galvin, D.Sc. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Philadelphia	Timothy D. Solberg, Ph.D. University of Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, Neb.
Steven J. Goetsch, Ph.D. San Diego Gamma Knife Center San Diego	Bruce Thomadsen, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
Mukesh Harsinghani, M.D. Massachusetts General Hospital Boston	Wolfgang Tomè, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
Robert Helmreich, Ph.D. The University of Texas, Austin Austin, Texas	Jake van Dyk, Ph.D. London Regional Cancer Center London, Ontario, Canada
William Hendee, Ph.D. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee	Louise Warrick, M.D., Ph.D. Healthcare Consultant Tucson, Ariz.
Saiful Huq, Ph.D. UPMC Cancer Center Pittsburgh	Jeffrey F. Williamson, Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Va.
Geoffrey Ibbott, Ph.D. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Houston	Lei Xing, Ph.D. Stanford University Stanford, Calif.
David Jaffray, Ph.D. Princess Margaret Hospital Toronto	Di Yan, D.Sc. William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Mich.
Steve Jiang, Ph.D. Massachusetts General Hosptial Boston	Marco Zaider, Ph.D. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York