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Attending the workshop at Wollongong Hospital are (from left) Profess... |
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Taking a break during the Wollongong Hospital based workshop are (fro... |
International cancer workshop at Wollongong Hospital
Wollongong Hospital played host on 26 August to a scientific workshop looking at the latest international developments in the area of radiation treatments for cancer.
Cancer is rapidly becoming the largest cause of mortality this century. To address this problem and save more lives, better technologies for diagnosis and treatment of cancer are required.
One of UOW’s research strengths, the Centre for Medical Radiation Physics (CMRP) within the School of Engineering Physics, was established in 2002 to address this important task by using advances in radiation medicine. Director of the CMRP is Professor Anatoly Rozenfeld.
The CMRP and the Illawarra Cancer Care Centre (ICCC), based at Wollongong Hospital, conducted the latest workshop. The Director of the ICCC, Dr Chris Fox, spoke about the ICCC’s cancer treatment services.
The international speakers participating were Professor Wolfgang Tome from the Department of Human Oncology and Medical Physics, School of Medicine, University of Wisconsin; and Professor Morten Hoyer from Arthur University Hospital in Denmark.
Professor Rozenfeld used the workshop to unveil a newly-developed instrument that could change the way metastasis and small tumours are treated. The Dose Magnifying Glass can measure the amount of radiation from a very narrow beam.
It is only in use at the ICCC and at Prince of Wales Hospital but it could soon be in use much more widely.
The core objectives of the CMRP are excellence in research and development in the field of innovative radiation therapy, radiation instrumentation and measurements. It has developed strong research programs in mini-micro and nano dosimetry using advanced microelectronics nano-technology, proton beam radiotherapy, micro beam radiation therapy and innovative magneto radiotherapy.
CMRP collaborations exist with leading radiation oncology institutions around the world. These include the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, the Loma Linda University Medical Centre in California, and the Massachusetts General Hospital proton therapy centre and Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
Specialised areas of research within CMRP include X-ray radiotherapy for prostate cancer treatment, permanent radioactive seed implant brachytherapy, high dose rate brachytherapy and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy for head and neck treatment (which is in collaboration with the St George Cancer Care Centre and Illawarra Cancer Care Centre).