January 18th, 2023 – 9:00AM to 17:00PM Riyadh Time
Faculty members
⦁ Nadeem Pervez, Jean-Philippe, Mohammed Shelan Course Director, MESTRO Vice Chair
⦁ Dr Syed Akhtar, SQCCCRC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
⦁ Drs Dr Abdul Basit, SQU, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
⦁ Dr Sharjeel Usmani, SQCCCRC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
⦁ Mr. Nirmal Babu, SQCCCRC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
⦁ Dr Jean-Philippe Pignol, SQCCCRC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
⦁ Miss. Iqbal Al Amri, SQCCCRC, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Objectives
Prostate LDR brachytherapy is one of the most efficient and well evaluated methods of treatment for low risk and favorable intermediate risk prostate cancers. It is also appropriate for unfavorable intermediate risk and high-risk disease as a boost following external beam radiotherapy and androgen deprivation. LDR prostate brachytherapy is easy to implement and safe if patient’s selection, treatment planning and procedure are done following strict guidelines. The purpose of this MESTRO virtual crash course is to review diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer, patient’s selection for LDR prostate brachytherapy, volume analysis and dosimetry, quality assurance, procedures and tips for better implants, material and seed order, and the necessary steps to start a program. The crash course is suitable for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, therapists, and nurses, with no previous or advanced knowledge of LDR prostate brachytherapy. We also expect to create through MESTRO a group of enthusiast prostate brachytherapists who could help each other for difficult cases. The course is led by Dr Nadeem Pervez, who has over 15 years of experience performing prostate brachytherapy in Canada and in Oman.
Program (Riyadh time)
Diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer – 9:00 to 9:30 – Dr Syed Akhtar
- Epidemiology
- Biopsy and pathology
- Stage distribution and prognosis by stage/age
Imaging – 9:30 to 10:00 – Dr Abdul Basit & Sharjeel Usmani
- Imaging diagnosis
- Imaging for metastatic workup, US, MRI, and nuclear medicine
Treatment options and results – 10:00 to 10:30 – Dr. Mohamed Shelan, Switzerland
- Watchful Waiting, radical prostatectomy, and ablation therapies
- External beam radiotherapy
- Androgen deprivation
LDR brachytherapy procedure – 10:30 to 12:00 – Dr Nadeem Pervez
- Typical workflow
- Patient’s selection: eligibility and ineligibility
- Pre-implant planning US volume analysis
- Anesthesia protocol and patient’s preparation
- Implant procedure from start to finish
12:00 to 13:00 –Break
LDR brachytherapy planning – 13:30 to 14:30 – Dr Jean-Philippe Pignol
- Dose calculation algorithms
- Practical dosimetry using Variseed
- Real-time planning
LDR brachytherapy quality assurance – 14:30 to 15:00– Nirmal Babu
- Seed ordering and quality assurance
- Pre-implant and post implant dosimetry quality assurance
Clinical outcomes and side effects – 15:00 to 15:30 – Dr Nadeem Pervez
- Low risk outcomes and side effects
- Intermediate and high-risk outcomes and side effects
- Management/prevention of side effects
- Tips and tricks of LDR prostate brachytherapy
How to start a LDR prostate program – 15:30 – 16:00 – Dr Iqbal Al Amri
- Status of LDR brachytherapy in the Middle East
Questions and discussion – 16:00 to closing – Dr Pervez