Practical Rad Onc Questions

[Haybrant]

Im having trouble learning certain things I should know to be in this field. I understand the very clinical oncology side of things and how to acquire that knowledge. But i don't know squat about the technical side of things. Why is placing the isocenter an important thing? What the hell are wedge fields? what is half beam blocking? besides dvh parameters what makes one plan better than another? google searches in our field are horrible too and attendings just assume you know all this from day one. Our physics books love spending hours on brehmstralung but have very little practical information. Im sure other posts have given such information but I can't find them. Thanks for the help

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[BraggPeak]

You may consider looking at the book written by Dr Videtic. Also, speak to your dosimetrists and senior residents. Sometimes the RTOG trials (section 6 in each trial) has useful information about treatment planning. the Bentel book is a good resource as well and I'm sure ther is one in your department.

Hope this helps.

 

[deleted4401]

You just have to ask these questions, no matter how stupid it makes you feel. If you're a resident, anything that isn't clear has to be cleared up as much as possible before graduation. If you're a student, nobody expects anything, so ask away. The concepts you are asking about need some graphical illustration, so have your senior go through it with you.

 

[napoleondynamite]

You just have to ask these questions, no matter how stupid it makes you feel. If you're a resident, anything that isn't clear has to be cleared up as much as possible before graduation. If you're a student, nobody expects anything, so ask away. The concepts you are asking about need some graphical illustration, so have your senior go through it with you.

Absolutely on point. This field attracts smart people who aren't used to feeling like an idiot or feeling like you are asking "dumb" questions. But as Simul said - now is the time to ask those questions. Particularly during your first couple of years of residency. Start by asking your senior residents and if they can't help answer your question to your satisfaction ask an attending. You may be surprised that sometimes an attending may not be able to articulate these things either, so keep digging. In our department, for the types of questions you are talking about, our dosimetrists were very capable and approachable and enjoyed teaching these types of things to residents. You may also ask your physicist if they are approachable. But above all, don't be afraid to ask, ask, ask, ask, ask!!!