July 7, 2008 - Nucletron has partnered with the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) and Texas Cancer Clinic to sponsor the HDR Fellowship Experience, a clinical and didactic training program for residents designed to stimulate interest in further training and skill development for implementation of HDR brachytherapy in clinical practice.
"Nucletron is pleased to be the industry sponsor of this new HDR Fellowship Experience," said Bill Dowd, Nucletron's vice president, North America. "We believe this program is valuable in providing high quality training for radiation oncology residents as they work to understand the dynamics of brachytherapy and the benefits of implementing this modality as a treatment option for their patients."
The program is being conducted at the Texas Cancer Clinic, a free-standing, privately-owned, 30,000-square-foot state-of-the-art multidisciplinary outpatient cancer center located in San Antonio, TX, and the winner of Outpatient Care Technology's 2007 No. 1 Outpatient Cancer Clinic in the Country award. Texas Cancer Clinical's medical director, Bradley R. Prestidge, M.D., an internationally recognized expert in brachytherapy, oversees the HDR Fellowship Experience faculty which also includes Sylvia Zubyk, M.D., Amir Sadeghi, PhD, and other physicians, nurses, therapists, dosimetrists and physicists who are highly qualified in brachytherapy of all types. In its first year, a total of 51 applications were received from residents and junior staff members for the 10 openings available in 2008.
"The ABS continues to create learning opportunities with the best faculty, facilities and industry partners," stated Rick Guggolz, executive director of the ABS. "Nucletron has been a committed and enthusiastic sponsor for this program, and the Texas Cancer Center is a true leader in the field of brachytherapy."
Each one-week rotation of the HDR Fellowship Experience includes one-on-one time with the clinicians and physicists, and at least one HDR procedure involving the prostate, breast, gynecological organs, as well as other sites will be observed and assisted. The fellows will be involved in the planning phase as well as learn how to critique the plan. Additionally, the program includes a formal didactic and hands-on training course provided by Nucletron.
For more information: www.nucletron.com and www.texascancerclinic.com