Medical Services

MEDICAL PHYSICS


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ADMINISTRATION






Department supports This three medical clinics within the GOC: External Radiation & Brachytherapy, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.

Some of our responsibilities include:

  1. Providing advice and making sure that all regulations regarding radiation protection for the personnel and patients on all premises at the Center, indoors and outdoors, are followed strictly.
  2. Applying quality checks on a regular basis, to make sure that all diagnostic and treatment equipment and systems are working properly.
  3. Researching, developing and evaluating protocols and analytical techniques for the maximization of the quality and preciseness of diagnostic tests, and also for the reduction of exposure to ionizing radiation hazards.
  4. Calculating the dose distribution in external Radiotherapy and Interventional Brachytherapy, of specialized, tailor-made application patterns in treatment planning systems for each patient.
  5. Calculation and measurement of the dose in Nuclear Medicine treatment programs.
The Department of Medical Physics is responsible for the following areas of work:


DESIGN & CALCULATION

of treatment in collaboration with the treating physician.


DOSIMETRY

of patients and staff and optimization of the processes using ionizing radiation.


DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION

of quality assurance program.


RECEIPT & CALIBRATION

of systems emitting ionizing radiation.


QUALITY CONTROL

of these systems at regular intervals based on international protocols, but also whenever necessary.


MANAGEMENT

of radioactive sources and of radioactive waste.


PREPRATION OF STUDIES

for safe operation and radiation protection for systems emitting ionizing radiation.


ORGANIZATION & IMPLEMENTATION

of radiation protection seminars within the GOC.


SERVICES



Collaboration with, and support for, three of the core departments of our Center, takes place at many levels. Here’s a brief description of what we do in each of them.

  • Radiation Oncology
  • Radiology Department (Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Ultrasound Imaging)
  • Nuclear Medicine Department
Radiation Oncology

The Department of Medical Physics is responsible for the purchase, quality control, and optimal and safe operation of all radioactivity devices as well as for the design and calculation of radiotherapy in collaboration with the Radiologist Oncologist in the two linear accelerators installed at GOC, (Versa HD LINAC, Synergy LINAC) and the High Dose Rate Brachytherapy Unit (microSelectron HDR).

External Beam Radiotherapy

Medical Physicists are responsible for checking the proper functioning and calibration of linear accelerators (LINACs) with the aid of their measurement systems and following international reference protocols. In addition, they are responsible for checking the proper functioning of imaging systems incorporated in linear accelerators (iView, XVI), which allow image-guided Radiotherapy (IGRT).

The Medical Physics team performs the treatment planning for patients receiving Radiotherapy in collaboration with the Radiologist Oncologist and is responsible for the safe and accurate application of the treatment. Applying radiotherapy techniques in the Treatment Planning System (Monaco), such as Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Intracranial Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRS / SRT), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) allows the attending physician to achieve target dose escalation while protecting adjacent healthy tissues. In addition, by using independent dose calculation software and in vivo dose measurement systems (DoseCheck, perFraction) Medical Physicists ensure the accuracy of radiotherapy and control a variety of parameters related to the optimization of the therapeutic session.

Finally, the Department of Medical Physics controls the Therapy Management Software (Mosaiq) in collaboration with the IT department of the GOC.

High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

The Department of Medical Physics is responsible for the purchase handling and export of the Iridium-192 sealed radioactive sources, their activity measurement, and the quality control of the brachytherapy automatic remote afterloader system.

In addition, the department is responsible for the quality control of GOC brachytherapy, Oncentra Prostate planning systems as well as brachytherapy treatment planning as well as its implementation in collaboration with the Radiation Oncologists, with image guidance using either transrectal ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Radiology Department (Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Ultrasound Imaging)

The Department of Medical Physics is responsible for the receipt, quality control and optimal and safe operation of GOC imaging equipment, which currently includes a computed tomography system (CT) and a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging system (MRI) as well as 2 ultrasound systems. Within the framework of current European and Cypriot legislation and in line with international protocols, it records the dosage of patients in diagnostic tests and suggests methods to minimize their burden while maintaining high imaging quality.

In addition, the department is responsible for ensuring the correct and optimal use of the stereotactic prostate biopsy system with the ultrasound image guidance (Biopsee system) and for conducting this examination in collaboration with the Radiologist.

Nuclear Medicine Department

The Department of Medical Physics is responsible for receiving, quality control and ensuring the correct and safe operation of the PET-CT system, dose calibrators and all ionizing radiation metering systems at the GOC.

It is responsible for overseeing the proper and safe operation of the cyclotron used for the production of radiopharmaceuticals in collaboration with the supplier company (ABT) and radiochemists.

It is responsible for the receipt and management of radiopharmaceuticals and all sources necessary for the proper functioning of the Nuclear Medicine Department. Organizes and executes the radioiodine patient dosage program and is responsible for the management and disposal of radioactive waste.

THE TEAM


Medical Physicists work closely with other healthcare professionals like, physicians, radiochemists, technologists and nurses and play a key role in developing, planning and implementing diagnostic and treatment programs for patients. Furthermore, Medical Physicists are responsible for the commissioning and the quality assurance of the highly specialised equipment used in the department in order to ensure that the equipment performs effectively, efficiently and safely for the patients.

One of the most important responsibilities of a medical physicist in the clinical service is the radiation protection of patients, members of the general public and staff. Medical physicists provide scientific expertise to support the procurement and optimal use of the departmental equipment and are responsible for the design of radiation facilities, control of radiation hazards and dosimetry along with other highly specialised personnel.

Finally, yet importantly, medical physicists are involved in teaching hospital employees about the risks and benefits of radiation by conducting courses in radiation protection and medical physics.



The Department is managed by the following Medical Physicists (from left to right)

  1. Dr. Paul Doolan, General Coordinator of Medical Physics
  2. Dr. Yiannis Roussakis, Deputy Coordinator/Radiotherapy
  3. Dr. Panayiotis Hadjitheodorou, Deputy Coordinator/ Nuclear Medicine
  4. Dr. Leonidas Georgiou, Deputy Coordinator/Diagnostic % Interventional Radiology


And is staffed by (from left to right)

  1. Andria Hadjipanteli, Medical Physicist
  2. Georgios Antorkas, Medical Physicist
  3. Maria Nikolaou, Medical Physicist
  4. Konstantina Prokopiou, Engineer Biomedical Technology

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