Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 2, 2016 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A., EURONEXT), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions and the department of Radiation Oncology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) in partnership with OncoLink, proudly present the Third Annual Course on Proton Therapy: Past Lessons and Future Prospects, on November 18-20 in Philadelphia. This unique opportunity presents medical professionals and administrators interested in proton therapy with an intensive three-day proton therapy immersion program at Penn Medicine. After two successful years, this 3rd edition course will attract an even larger number of attendees for the third edition.

The course offers in-depth insights to the practical application of proton therapy for administrators, clinicians and medical physicists from cancer centers considering establishing proton therapy. Andrew Dike, Service Offering Manager at IBA, highlights why this unique course is so valuable. "There is a real surge of interest in proton therapy within the global radiation oncology community, and as we have seen, and an increase in proton therapy centers being constructed worldwide. This course provides a dynamic forum to better understand what it takes to make proton therapy a reality in a health system or cancer center. IBA is proud to be a part of such an important event that helps the field of proton therapy grow to eventually reach all patients who would benefit from this treatment option.”

Over the past two years, the course has received excellent feedback from attendees stating that the material presented is practical and useful in daily operations. Anders Navrsted Pedersen, Clinical Director of the Radiotherapy Program at Copenhagen University Hospital (Rigshospitalet) in Denmark commented: "I attended the course in order to advise patients, refer patients, prepare comparison dose plans and prepare for proton therapy in my own center".

Sanford Katz, MD,radiation oncologist at the Willis-Knighton Cancer Center in Shreveport, LA: “I came back from the seminar with interesting new views which we are now considering for our treatment planning and program. All the speakers were approachable and encouraged us to contact them in case of questions, which really gave the feeling that if you were to embark on this big journey, you become part of and are backed up by a community of like-minded peers.”

Target audiences for the course are: radiation oncology physicians, physicists, and administrators who are interested in learning about proton therapy. At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

Understand the logistics of establishing a proton therapy center with clinical and research capabilities
Describe the current clinical indications and applications for proton therapy
Comprehend the various technical considerations in proton therapy planning
Explain the regulatory aspects of proton therapy planning and delivery from the standpoints of quality assurance and compliance
Better perform their specific roles within the proton therapy center

Details:
When: Friday, November 18, 2016 - Sunday, November 20, 2016
Where: Philadelphia, PA, USA
For more information on registration and other course details, please visit our website at https://protontherapycourse.cvent.com or contact us at courses@protontherapyeducation.com with any questions.

More testimonials of the attendees of the course can be found HERE.


About IBA
IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.) is a global medical technology company focused on bringing integrated and innovative solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company is the worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy, considered to be the most advanced form of radiation therapy available today. IBA’s proton therapy solutions are flexible and adaptable, allowing customers to choose from universal full-scale proton therapy centers as well as compact, single room systems. In addition, IBA also has a radiation dosimetry business and develops particle accelerators for the medical world and industry.

Headquartered in Belgium and employing about 1,400 people worldwide, IBA has installed systems across the world. IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange NYSE EURONEXT (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB).

More information can be found at: www.iba-worldwide.com.


About OncoLink
OncoLink was the first online cancer information site, started in 1994, and remains one of the largest. This award-winning site is maintained by a group of oncology healthcare professionals who understand the need of patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. OncoLink’s content is continually updated and ranges from treatment and disease information for a newly diagnosed patient, support through the side effects of treatment, and into survivorship. OncoLink provides tools and educational materials to support the practice of busy practitioners.

The primary goal of OncoLink is to support patients, caregivers and practitioners through education. This education can empower patients to make informed treatment decisions, be active participants in their care and be their own advocate.

More information can be found at: https://www.oncolink.org/


Roberts Proton Therapy Center
The Roberts Proton Therapy Center at the University of Pennsylvania is the largest, most advanced facility of its kind in the world, and the only proton therapy center that is fully integrated with a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer center.