Program Overview

Course Overview

Course Description

The course provides the base for understanding physical principles within radiotherapy, focusing on clinical application. Important topics are: Equipment for generating/delivering ionizing electron- and photon radiation, clinical radiation dosimetry, characteristics and specifications of radiation fields, treatment planning (volume definitions, field setup, fractionations, modern techniques and dose calculation algorithms), brachytherapy, quality assurance, introduction to particles/heavy ions in radiotherapy and quantitative methods in radiooncology.

Course Details

Course Content

The course covers the following topics:

• Equipment for generating/delivering ionizing electron- and photon radiation
• Clinical radiation dosimetry
• Characteristics and specifications of radiation fields
• Treatment planning (volume definitions, field setup, fractionations, modern techniques and dose calculation algorithms)
• Brachytherapy
• Quality assurance
• Introduction to particles/heavy ions in radiotherapy
• Quantitative methods in radiooncology

Learning Outcome

Students are introduced to the skills performed by medical physicists in Norwegian hospitals. The course provides knowledge about:

• Equipment for generating electron and photon radiation
• Clinical dosimetry
• Volume definitions
• Techniques for treatment planning
• Quality assurance
• Possibilities and limitations related to treatment modalities like brachytherapy and particle therapy

Learning Methods and Activities

• Lectures, including practical tasks/demonstrations (in Groups) within clinical dosimetry and treatment planning

Compulsory Assignments

• Project with presentation

Further on Evaluation

• Oral exam

Course Information

Credits

• 4 credits

Level

• Doctoral degree level

Course Start

• Autumn 2025

Duration

• 1 semester

Language of Instruction

• English and Norwegian

Location

• Trondheim

Examination Arrangement

• Oral examination

Recommended Previous Knowledge

The course is based on MSc level knowledge in medical physics and radiation biophysics. The courses TFY4225, TFY4315, and TFY4320 (or similar courses) are recommended.

Course Materials

• Announced at the start of the course

Credit Reductions

• Course code: FY8404
• Reduction: 4 sp
• From: Autumn 2011 This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject Areas

• Medical Technology
• Medical Physics
• Radiation Biophysics/Radiation Biology
• Radiation Physics
• Biophysics and Medical Technology
• Biophysics
• Physics

Special Considerations

Master students of biophysics who sign up for this course and for FY8408, can sign up for TFY4505 and receive a joint letter grade for the specialization course based on assessments in the two PhD course modules, weighted 50/50.