Targeted radiation from within: the expanding role of radiopharmaceutical therapy
Description
As precision oncology evolves, the goal is for RPT to be viewed as a bridge between nuclear medicine, radiation oncology and medical oncology for the benefit of patients with cancer. However, challenges remain related to items, such as “turf wars” between departments wishing to “own” the treatment, technical factors related to coupling of RPT with external beam radiation (composite doses) needed for overall dosing and dose-volume-effect relationships, and training future medical physicists, etc. There is also a shortage of authorized users (AU’s) and authorized medical physicists (AMP’s) needed to manage the quickly evolving workloads. It behooves the AAPM to tackle these issues through education and collaborative approaches to achieve the most effective integrated care for the benefit of patients with cancer. Addressing these issues also highlights the importance of preparing medical physics trainees with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet evolving clinical demands. While accreditation and professional bodies such as CAMPEP and the AAPM continue to develop guidelines for training programs, this session aims to share perspectives and challenges from institutions that have already incorporated RPT training into their curricula. It will also provide practical strategies to strengthen RPT education and foster collaboration across programs, ultimately supporting the development of a well-prepared workforce.