Department of anaessthesia

Department of Radiation Medicine

Research Report 2006

DIVISION OF MEDICAL PHYSICS

Head of Division: Associate Professor E.R Hering

Divisional profile
The Division of Medical Physics is responsible to Diagnostic Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Oncology for the safe use of ionization radiation, patient dosimetry and treatment, as well as the optimum use and functioning of equipment. This also includes the training/teaching of staff and postgraduate students in these divisions. The Division of Medical Physics is recognised by the HPCSA as a training centre for Medical Physicists.
Things are looking up for Medical Physics at the moment with the appointment of new and promotion of existing staff, as well as the procurement of vital equipment for Radiation Oncology. The mechanical upgrade of the Microselectron afterloader has been successfully completed and the Brachyvision software has arrived. The hardware and software for the stereotactic treatments has also been delivered and will be commissioned once the new LINAC has been installed. Medical Physics has also introduced isocentric treatments for radiotherapy patients, which will increase patient throughput without any comprise in quality of treatment. New breast irradiation techniques, diode checking programs and 110 SSD electron treatments on the Siemens LINAC have also been implemented, in addition to the new TRS 398 protocol for the dose measurements on teletherapy as is now required by the Department of Health: Directorate Radiation Control.
The Division of Medical Physics continues to provide Medical Physics services to Nuclear Medicine at Red Cross Hospital. This service has been expanded by our physicist in Nuclear Medicine to regular quality control checks. Mould room and some Medical Physics services are also provided to Frere Hospital in East London, as well as the Provincial Hospital in Port Elizabeth and iThembaLABS at Faure.

Research Fields and Staff

Associate Professor and Head of Department

ER Hering PhD (UCT)
Manager (Medical Physics)

JK Hough MSc (UCT)

Assistant Manager (Medical Physics)

G Maree PhD (UCT)

I Boyd MSc (UCT)

T Kotze PhD (US)

TECHNICAL STAFF
Chief Radiographer

K Botha Nat Dipl Radiography (Therapy), Dipl Computer Science

CP Johnson Nat Dipl Radiography (Radiology & Nuclear Med)
Mould Room
Chief MTO

RM Munro Dipl. Radiation Technology

MTO

R Goodall Nat Dipl Radiography (Radiology), Dipl Radiation Technology

Intern Radiation Technologist

C Kivido Nat Dipl Radiography (Radiology)

Mechanical Workshop
Chief Industrial Technician

C Thomson NTCII

Artisan

RE Hiscock NIII

SECRETARIAL
Senior Admin Clerk

M Jansen

Due to the arrival of and planning for all the new equipment the division has spent very little time on research projects. Some more radiation safety measurements were, however, done on the StatScan X-ray unit.
Egbert Hering was joint organiser of the 45^th SAAPMB Congress and Autumn School on IMRT, Stereotaxis and Radiobiological Planning held in Cape Town from the 21 – 25 March 2006. The following presentations were made by members of the Division:
ER Hering, G. Blekkenhorst and D. Jones. Blood flow in Neutron activated tumours.
GJ Maree, ER Hering and JK Hough. I-125 plaque: Isodoses and treatment time.
C Johnson and B Mason. Dose mapping of a gamma cell irradiator.
R Goodall. The manufacture of the gold plaque containing I-125 seeds as used for the treatment of malignant melanoma and retinoblastoma at Groote Schuur Hospital.
JK Hough. Choosing an appropriate external beam breast treatment technique.

IAEA AFRA initiative:

Jan Hough went for a week to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to help calibrate a new Cobalt unit and to initiate treatment planning.

DEPARTMENT OF RADIATION MEDICINE

DIVISION OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Head of Division – Professor S Beningfield

Divisional Profile

The division provides a variety of diagnostic isotope services to in- and outpatients consisting of planar Gamma Camera and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Scanning. Equipment has been upgraded but staff shortages are a recurrent problem. The following laboratory services are offered; GFR, CEA and CA125 assays, as well as bloodvolume and red cell survival studies.

The following research is being undertaken in this department:

We are performing bone and ERNA scans on oncology research patients with carcinoma of the breast in collaboration with Dr Murray and research patients with carcinoma of the prostate for Professor Abratt, Division of Radiation Oncology.

Two trials are taking place on the osteodensitometer:

1. 
   BIG 1-98 Bone mineral density substudy.
   
2. 
   SABRE ARIMIDEX BMD D5382000050 with AstraZeneca studying the effects of bisphosphonates on bone mineral density and markers of bone resorption and formation, in post-menopausal women, with early hormone-positive-receptor breast cancer, treated with ARIMIDEXTM with either moderate-risk of fragility fracture, or high-risk of fragility fracture.
   

Two trials are taking place in the laboratory

1. EORTC/GCCC Trial 5595 in collaboration with EORTC Data Centre in Belgium . Serum Ca 125 is measured every 3 months in a group of patients with carcinoma of the ovary to determine whether the Ca 125 test picks up relapses earlier than clinical examination

2. OVO5 trial. Randomised trial in relapsed ovarian cancer. Early treatment based on Ca 125 levels alone versus delayed treatment based on conventional clinical indicators, being carried out in collaboration with the MRC in Cambridge.

Divisional Statistics
PERMANENT AND LONG TERM CONTRACT STAFF
JOINT PROFESSIONAL STAFF (UCT/PAWC)

Chief Radiographers Management (Lecturers)	2
Chief Radiographers (1 x Lecturer)	4
Senior Radiographer	1
Community Service Radiographers	2
Part-time Senior Radiographer	1
Part-time Chief Medical Technologist (Lecturer)	1
TOTAL	12