OAR Brain

FALCON contouring workshop

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30 May and 6 June 2023
Online

Fig. 1. Visualisation of the organs at risk in three-dimensional rendering according to the EPTN atlas for CT- and MR-based contouring in Neuro-Oncology.

(Colour legend (in alphabetical order): Amygdala: light blue; Brainstem [Midbrain: red, Pons: purple, Medulla oblongata: pink]; Caudate nucleus: cyan; Cerebellum [anterior: semi-transparent light blue, posterior: semi-transparent blue]; Cornea: semi-transparent yellow; Fornix: green; Hippocampus: spring green; Hypothalamus: yellow; Lens: blue; Orbitofrontal cortex: pink; Optic nerve: green; Optic tract: dark green; Pineal gland: orange; Retina: semi-transparent orange; Spinal cord: orange; Supratentorial brain: semi-transparent pink; Thalamus: blue; Ventricles: semi-transparent white.)

Have you always wanted to know more about important structures in our brains? Where exactly they are, what they do, what side effects radiation might cause and how exactly you should delineate them on an MRI or CT? Then this course is just the thing for you!

The fellowship in anatomical delineation and contouring project (FALCON) is ESTRO’s educational contouring programme, which is designed to improve your delineation skills. FALCON offers hands-on delineation workshops at the annual ESTRO meetings and interaction with worldwide experts through online delineation workshops that are organised throughout the year.

This context, we are delighted to inform you that radiation oncologists Dr Danielle Eekers and Dr Maarten Lambrecht will deliver this course in two online evening sessions with great enthusiasm and expertise. Dr Eekers says: "The aim of this course is to make the anatomy of the brain accessible to everyone, whether you have a lot [of experience] or no experience at all, work in the clinic or are more involved in research." Dr Lambrecht adds: "By combining anatomy with the function and toxicity related to these structures, the material becomes even more interesting for everyone." Both these experts stress that you learn most by getting started yourself, so the course will begin with the delineation of provided use cases, which will be discussed during the course. Remember: every attempt to delineate is a first step on the learning curve we all need to travel along. Use of the European Particle Therapy Network (EPTN) atlas (www.cancerdata.org) will assist you during the delineation process and will make the discussion during the course all the more appealing and lively.

Besides the most frequently considered organs-at-risk (OARs), other OARs will be introduced, and the experts will share all kinds of tips and tricks with you during the two-evening course. So even if you already have some experience with brain OARs, there is always something new to learn, or better yet, to teach your supervisors.

The course offers a nice opportunity for professionals to validate their daily contouring practice online by comparing their contours with those delineated by experts in the field.

       

Dr Danielle Eekers

Dr Maarten Lambrecht, radiation oncologists and course directors of the FALCON contouring workshop on brain OARs.

More information on the course is available at:
https://www.estro.org/Courses/2023-Falcon/Falcon-2023-Online-Course-OAR-Brain