UPMC CancerCenter

UPMC CancerCenters provides the finest level of cancer care to patients throughout the tristate region. Partners in cancer care with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), which comprises the academic and research activities for cancer at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC, UPMC CancerCenters offers patients the latest advances in cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment.     The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, partner with UPMC CancerCenter, offers a comprehensive 3-day course on the clinical implementation of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR, also known as SBRT). The course is intended for the entire clinical team, consisting of radiation oncologists, surgeons, and medical physicists. A panel of internationally recognized expert physicians and physicists will provide a comprehensive review of radiosurgery, including lectures in neuroanatomy, radiation biology, and quality assurance. The course also will review the latest technical advancements in imaging, immobilization, motion management, gating, and high dose rate delivery modes. Attendees will be able to observe tumor boards, patient simulations, and clinical delivery of SRS/SABR treatments on several different SRS/SABR platforms. Finally, attendees will get guided, hands-on training in the advanced treatment planning techniques for SRS/SABR.   The benefits of attending UPCI’s program include: Training at a leading and one of the busiest SRS/SABR programs in the world Building confidence in how to develop referral sources Surgeons receiving training in target delineation & plan evaluation Learning how to ensure the accuracy of small field dosimetry     The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, partner with UPMC CancerCenter, also offers a comprehensive 2 day course is intended for radiation oncologist, medical physicist, dosimetrists and therapists, who wish to understand the benefits of respiratory motion management and observe how it is implemented in a modern cancer therapy department.  The course will be presented at UPMC CanceCenter Shadyside, a department that has treated hundres of patients with 4DCT and gated treatment delivery over the last 12 years.    The course consisits of lectures, patient case presentations, direct observation of 4DCT and gated treatment delivery in the clinic, and hands on lab exercises.  Topics include patient selection for motion management, the process of 4DCT scanning on the GE Advantageworkstation, review and analysis of 4DCT studies, treatment planning on Varian Eclipse/Phillips Pinnacle, commissioning and QA of gating equipment, and gated treatment delivery with the Varian RPM system.