Educating about radiation risks in high schools: towards improved public understanding of the complexity of low-dose radiation health effects.

The levels of stochastic health effects following exposure to low doses of ionising radiation are not well known. A consequence of the uncertainty is that any radiation exposure is met with deep concern-both by the public and by scientists who disagree about how the partly conflicting results from low-dose studies should be interpreted. The concern is not limited to ionising radiation but is inherent to other areas of modern technologies such as biotechnology or electromagnetic fields. The everyday presence of advanced technologies confronts people with the necessity to take decisions and there is an ongoing debate regarding both the nature and magnitude of potential risks and how education efforts may empower peoples´ decision-making. In the field of radiation research there are different opinions regarding the optimal education methods, spanning from the idea that peoples' fears will be eliminated by introducing dose thresholds below which the risk is assumed to be zero, to suggestions of concentrating research efforts in an attempt to eliminate all uncertainties regarding the effects of low doses. The aim of this paper was to present our approach which is based on developing an education program at the secondary school level where students learn to understand the role of science in society. Teaching about radiation risk as a socio-scientific issue is not based on presenting facts but on showing risks in a broader perspective aiming at developing students' competency in making decisions based on informed assessment. We hope to stimulate and encourage other researchers to pursue similar approaches.

Education and training in radioecology during the EU-COMET project-successes and suggestions for the future.

The 2014 Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Radioecology identified the key challenge in education and training (E&T) as being 'to maintain and develop a skilled workforce in Europe and world-wide, through university candidates and professionals trained within radioecology' since 'scientific research in radioecology and application of that knowledge … requires scientists and workers with adequate competence and appropriate skills.' Radioecology is a multidisciplinary science and E&T is needed by both students and professionals within research, industry and radiation protection. In order to address these needs, the EU COMET project has developed an E&T web platform and arranged a number of field courses, training courses, PhD and MSc courses, refresher courses and workshops, drawing on the COMET consortium to assemble relevant experts. In addition, COMET has been engaged in discussions with stakeholders for more long-term solutions to maintain the sustainability of radioecology E&T after the end of the project. Despite much progress in some areas, many of the challenges outlined in the 2014 SRA remain, mainly due to the lack of sustainable dedicated funding. Future plans within the ALLIANCE radioecology platform and the CONCERT-European Joint Programme for the Integration of Radiation Protection Research must urgently address this lack of sustainability if radioecological competence is to be maintained in Europe.

SIScaR-GPU: fast simulation and visualization of intraoperative scattered radiation to support radiation protection training.

Scattered radiation caused by the intraoperative use of mobile image intensifier systems (referred to as "C-arms") is the main source of radiation exposure for operating room personnel and surgeons. To keep this possibly harmful exposure at a minimum level, a deliberate use of radiation, knowledge about distribution of scattered radiation and appropriate behavior pattern are indispensable. Therefore in several countries knowledge concerning these aspects is taught in mandatory courses on radiation protection. Currently this teaching is typically based on non-interactive didactical methods (texts, pictures and videos). Because of the complexity of the knowledge field this restriction might lead to an insufficient understanding of the facts, an inappropriate behavior and therefore to an avoidable radiation exposure. This paper presents a new software module, which is able to simulate and visualize intraoperative radiation distribution and the resulting dose values for the attending persons within a few seconds (less than 30s). The developed components, which simulate the radiation transport using a graphics processing unit three times faster than comparable approaches, were integrated exemplarily in the computer based C-arm training system virtX. This extended training system improves the teaching through a prompt visual feedback on non-trivial scattered radiation facts in freely adoptable situations.

ASTRO's Framework for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Curriculum Development for Trainees.

In 2017, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) board of directors prioritized radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT) as a leading area for new therapeutic development, and the ASTRO RPT workgroup was created. Herein, the workgroup has developed a framework for RPT curriculum development upon which education leaders can build to integrate this modality into radiation oncology resident education. Through this effort, the workgroup aims to provide a guide to ensure robust training in an emerging therapeutic area within the context of existing radiation oncology training in radiation biology, medical physics, and clinical radiation oncology. The framework first determines the core RPT knowledge required to select patients, prescribe, safely administer, and manage related adverse events. Then, it defines the most important topics for preparing residents for clinical RPT planning and delivery. This framework is designed as a tool to supplement the current training that exists for radiation oncology residents. The final document was approved by the ASTRO board of directors in the fall of 2021.

Radiation and Cancer Biology Educators of Radiation Oncology Residents and the Courses They Teach1.

The purpose of this study was to characterize today's radiation and cancer biology educators of radiation oncology residents, and the biology courses they teach. An e-mail list of 133 presumptive resident biology educators was compiled, and they were invited to participate in a 46-item survey. Survey questions were designed to collect information about the educational and academic backgrounds of the educators, how they self-identify, characteristics of the courses they teach, the value that they assign to their teaching activities, their level of satisfaction with their courses and how they see these courses being taught in the future. Findings of this survey were compared and contrasted with prior surveys of biology educators (conducted 12 and 20 years ago, respectively), and with more recent surveys of radiation oncology residents and radiation oncology residency program directors conducted in 2018 and 2019. A total of 67 survey responses were received. Biology educators range in age, academic rank and years of teaching experience from junior (18%) to quite senior (45%). Only about 40% self-identify as radiation biologists, biophysicists or chemists, compared to 56% in 2001. The majority of the others consist of cancer biologists (15%), radiation oncologists (15%) and radiation oncology physician-scientists (16%). Educators prioritize their resident teaching as important or very important. Biology courses are widely variable in contact hours between programs and have not changed significantly over the past 20 years. About 75% of the courses are team-taught, including 15% involving multiple training programs. An average biology course consists of about 42% foundational ("classical") radiobiology, 28% clinical radiobiology and 28% cancer biology. While biology educators and radiation oncology program directors are highly satisfied with their biology courses, approximately a third of residents report being not very, or not at all, satisfied. That fewer biology educators are radiobiologists by training and their courses have remained quite variable in length and content over long periods point to the need for a consensus core curriculum for resident education in radiation and cancer biology. Both current educators and program directors also support making online teaching resources available, diversifying course instructors and consolidating biology teaching across multiple training programs.

A Five-Year report on the conception and establishment of the MSc Radiation Biology at the Technical University of Munich.

PURPOSE: The MSc Radiation Biology course is a highly interdisciplinary degree program placing radiation biology at the interface between biology, medicine, and physics, as well as their associated technologies. The goal was to establish an internationally acknowledged program with diverse and heterogeneous student cohorts, who benefit from each other academically as well as culturally. We have completed a Five-Year evaluation of the program to assess our qualification profile and the further direction we want to take. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the student cohort's data from the last 5 years regarding gender, age, and nationality as well as the highest degree before applying and career path after graduation. RESULTS: Data shows a great diversity regarding nationalty as well as undergraduate background. Cohort sizes could be increased and future prospects mainly aimed to a PhD. Measures after regular quality meetings and students' feedback led to improving the curriculum and workload, teacher's training, and changes to examination regulations. CONCLUSIONS: After 5 years, statistics show that our expectations have been met exceedingly. All graduates had excellent career opportunities reflecting the necessity of this MSc and its topics. We are continuously working on improving the program and adapting the curriculum to the requirements in radiation sciences. The future vision includes an expansion of the program as well as undergraduate education opportunities in this field.

Software Tools for the Evaluation of Clinical Signs and Symptoms in the Medical Management of Acute Radiation Syndrome-A Five-year Experience.

ABSTRACT: A suite of software tools has been developed for dose estimation (BAT, WinFRAT) and prediction of acute health effects (WinFRAT, H-Module) using clinical symptoms and/or changes in blood cell counts. We constructed a database of 191 ARS cases using the METREPOL (n = 167) and the SEARCH-database (n = 24). The cases ranged from unexposed (RC0), to mild (RC1), moderate (RC2), severe (RC3), and lethal ARS (RC4). From 2015-2019, radiobiology students and participants of two NATO meetings predicted clinical outcomes (RC, H-ARS, and hospitalization) based on clinical symptoms. We evaluated the prediction outcomes using the same input datasets with a total of 32 teams and 94 participants. We found that: (1) unexposed (RC0) and mildly exposed individuals (RC1) could not be discriminated; (2) the severity of RC2 and RC3 were systematically overestimated, but almost all lethal cases (RC4) were correctly predicted; (3) introducing a prior education component for non-physicians significantly increased the correct predictions of RC, ARS, and hospitalization by around 10% (p<0.005) with a threefold reduction in variance and a halving of the evaluation time per case; (4) correct outcome prediction was independent of the software tools used; and (5) comparing the dose estimates generated by the teams with H-ARS severity reflected known limitations of dose alone as a surrogate for H-ARS severity. We found inexperienced personnel can use software tools to make accurate diagnostic and treatment recommendations with up to 98% accuracy. Educational training improved the quality of decision making and enabled participants lacking a medical background to perform comparably to experts.

Moving Forward in the Next Decade: Radiation Oncology Sciences for Patient-Centered Cancer Care.

In a time of rapid advances in science and technology, the opportunities for radiation oncology are undergoing transformational change. The linkage between and understanding of the physical dose and induced biological perturbations are opening entirely new areas of application. The ability to define anatomic extent of disease and the elucidation of the biology of metastases has brought a key role for radiation oncology for treating metastatic disease. That radiation can stimulate and suppress subpopulations of the immune response makes radiation a key participant in cancer immunotherapy. Targeted radiopharmaceutical therapy delivers radiation systemically with radionuclides and carrier molecules selected for their physical, chemical, and biochemical properties. Radiation oncology usage of "big data" and machine learning and artificial intelligence adds the opportunity to markedly change the workflow for clinical practice while physically targeting and adapting radiation fields in real time. Future precision targeting requires multidimensional understanding of the imaging, underlying biology, and anatomical relationship among tissues for radiation as spatial and temporal "focused biology." Other means of energy delivery are available as are agents that can be activated by radiation with increasing ability to target treatments. With broad applicability of radiation in cancer treatment, radiation therapy is a necessity for effective cancer care, opening a career path for global health serving the medically underserved in geographically isolated populations as a substantial societal contribution addressing health disparities. Understanding risk and mitigation of radiation injury make it an important discipline for and beyond cancer care including energy policy, space exploration, national security, and global partnerships.

Radiation Sciences Education in Africa: An Assessment of Current Training Practices and Evaluation of a High-Yield Course in Radiation Biology and Radiation Physics.

PURPOSE: Formal education in the radiation sciences is critical for the safe and effective delivery of radiotherapy. Practices and patterns of radiation sciences education and trainee performance in the radiation sciences are poorly described. This study assesses the current state of radiation sciences education in Africa and evaluates a high-yield, on-site educational program in radiation biology and radiation physics for oncology and radiation therapy trainees in Africa. METHODS: An anonymous survey was distributed to members of the African Organization for Research and Treatment in Cancer Training Interest Group to assess current attitudes and practices toward radiation sciences education. A 2-week, on-site educational course in radiation biology and radiation physics was conducted at the Cancer Diseases Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Pre- and postcourse assessments in both disciplines were administered to gauge the effectiveness of an intensive high-yield course in the radiation sciences. RESULTS: Significant deficiencies were identified in radiation sciences education, especially in radiation biology. Lack of expert instructors in radiation biology was reported by half of all respondents and was the major contributing factor to deficient education in the radiation sciences. The educational course resulted in marked improvements in radiation biology assessment scores (median pre- and posttest scores, 27% and 55%, respectively; P < .0001) and radiation physics assessment scores (median pre- and posttest scores, 30% and 57.5%, respectively; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Radiation sciences education in African oncology training programs is inadequate. International collaboration between expert radiation biology and radiation physics instructors can address this educational deficiency and improve trainee competence in the foundational radiation sciences that is critical for the safe and effective delivery of radiotherapy.

Education and training to support radiation protection research in Europe: the DoReMi experience.

A review is presented to the program of education and training setup within the DoReMi Network of Excellence. DoReMi was funded by Euratom under the EU 7th Framework Programme to coordinate the EU research into risks from low-dose ionizing radiation. It was seen to be necessary to form a network of expert institutions in order to tackle the scientific questions with the resources available. From the start, importance was given to the need to stimulate and support education and training to build up the capability of the research community. DoReMi dedicated a workpackage to education and training that put in place a number of activities that have been successful in attracting new students into the area and introducing research scientists to new topic areas and technologies. The program of education and training in DoReMi provided a significant contribution to the low-dose radiation research community and has been further developed and extended in the following Euratom-funded project OPERRA and the European Joint Programme CONCERT.

PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF A HAND-MADE RADIATION MONITOR'S POTENTIAL FOR PROVIDING ENERGY INFORMATION AS AN ADDITIONAL FEATURE FOR SECONDARY LEVEL RADIATION EDUCATION.

A hand-made air GM counter was developed using simple, low-cost and easily available materials. The detector was successful in demonstrating the inverse square law, shielding effect, and determining the half-life of thoron gas. The possibility of using the tube design as a simple proportional counter to provide energy information has been explored and preliminary experiment and simulation results appear to agree at low energy. The energy deposition characteristics for an internally placed alpha-emitting Rn-220 were simulated using Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS).

STATE INSTITUTION «NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR RADIATION MEDICINE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE¼ - RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE IN 2018. / REZUL'TATY ROBOTY DU «NATsIONAL'NYY̆ NAUKOVYY̆ TsENTR RADIATsIY̆NOÏ MEDYTsYNY NATsIONAL'NOÏ AKADEMIÏ MEDYChNYKh NAUK UKRAÏNY¼ U 2018 ROTsI.

Research activities and scientific advance achieved in 2018 at the State Institution «National Research Center for Radiation Medicine of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine¼ (NRCRM) concerning medical problems of the Chornobyl disaster, radiation medicine, radiobiology, radiation hygiene and epidemiology in collaboration with the WHO network of medical preparedness and assistance in radiation accidents are outlined in the annual report. The report presents the results of fundamental and applied research works of the study of radiation effects and health effects of the Chornobyl accident; fulfillment of tasks of «State Social Program for Improving Safety, Occupational Health and Working Environment in 2014-2018¼.The report also shows the results of scientific-organizational and health care work, staff training. The NRCRM Annual Report was approved at the Scientific Council meeting of NAMS on March 21, 2019.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN EUROPE TO SUPPORT LOW-DOSE RADIATION PHYSICS AND RADIOBIOLOGY.

The success of any research programme is dependent on a continuing influx of new expertise, and continuing education to ensure the newest technologies and methods are exploited. In the past decade, a strategic approach has been used to build up the research expertise in the area of radiation protection and risk estimation. The High Level Expert Group (HLEG, www.hleg.de) in their 2009 report on European low-dose research asserted that education and training were key components in the development and maintenance of expertise for research into the risks from low-levels of ionising radiation. Following their recommendations, a Euratom-funded Network of Excellence (DoReMi, www.doremi-noe.net) was setup to develop a platform of European research institutions to coordinate the research programme and develop expertise in the area. We present here the activities initiated by DoReMi and currently continued by CONCERT (www.concert-h2020.eu) in support of education and training in the scientific areas underpinning radiation protection research.

HIGH BACKGROUND AREA FOR RADIATION EDUCATION.

This paper describes our trial experience of the use of high radiation area for radiation education. We used environmental samples collected from the high radiation area in Fukushima prefecture and India, for the practice of radiation measurement and health risk assessment in Nagasaki University Medical School. We also carried out the field monitoring seminar for students in the existing exposure areas in Tottori prefecture and the Yamakiya observatory in Fukushima. Although the evaluation of educational effectiveness is still underway, both types of education appeared attractive for the students mostly due to the exposure from natural environment in our real life which was not achieved by using an artificial radiation source in a classroom.

Students' expectations in an international Master of Science course in radiation biology.

PURPOSE: We assessed students' expectations to a full two-year Master of Science course regarding workload, extracurricular activities, learning methods, and career plans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was handed out to all students in the MSc radiation biology course. Questions evaluated the time for study and lectures expected a desire for specific teaching and testing formats, expectations from extracurricular activities as well as the motivation to study the subject and the future career plans. All students (100%) enrolled in the first semester were handed out and completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: Most students had learned about the course from the internet (68.75%) or received information from teachers or professors (25%). Two students stated that all disciplines were equally relevant (25%). Others students made clear preferences: fourteen voted molecular biology (87.5%) as relevant, radiation protection in 93.75%, 81.25% consider physics the most important topic, followed by immunology (62.5%). Tutorials and lectures were preferred teaching formats. Generally, a workload of 20 hours per week is preferred. CONCLUSIONS: An ongoing feedback loop is important in designing a modern Master of Science course in the context of the Bologna process. Valuable information is given by students and should be integrated continuously in the design and continuation process.

Funding for radiation research: past, present and future.

For more than a century, ionizing radiation has been indispensable mainly in medicine and industry. Radiation research is a multidisciplinary field that investigates radiation effects. Radiation research was very active in the mid- to late 20th century, but has then faced challenges, during which time funding has fluctuated widely. Here we review historical changes in funding situations in the field of radiation research, particularly in Canada, European Union countries, Japan, South Korea, and the US. We also provide a brief overview of the current situations in education and training in this field. A better understanding of the biological consequences of radiation exposure is becoming more important with increasing public concerns on radiation risks and other radiation literacy. Continued funding for radiation research is needed, and education and training in this field are also important.

CLINICAL TRIAGE OF RADIATION CASUALTIES-THE HEMATOLOGICAL MODULE OF THE BUNDESWEHR INSTITUTE OF RADIOBIOLOGY.

Novel treatment regimens for therapy of the acute radiation syndrome (ARS) were developed over the last years. Their application relies on an early and high-throughput diagnosis. Based on the database SEARCH a new scientific triage tool (called H-module) was developed for early prediction of the later developing ARS. Based on peripheral blood cell counts measured within the first three days after a radiation exposure a prediction of the H-ARS severity (as well as therapeutic recommendations) can be performed with this tool. The H-module was tested within two table top exercises. Contributors were either radiation experts or radiobiology students and the required patient data were generated from real case histories. The H-module proved to be an easy to train and easy to use precise and promising new tool to assist and guide the treating physician in a large-scale radiation scenario. An introduction into this new tool and other diagnostic tools will be provided in the context of a NATO-teaching class in October/November 2019 in Paris.

Successful Teaching of Radiobiology Students in the Medical Management of Acute Radiation Effects From Real Case Histories Using Clinical Signs and Symptoms and Taking Advantage of Recently Developed Software Tools.

In 2015, the Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology organized a North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise to examine the significance of clinical signs and symptoms for the prediction of late-occurring acute radiation syndrome. Cases were generated using either the Medical Treatment Protocols for Radiation Accident Victims (METREPOL, n = 167) system or using real-case descriptions extracted from a database system for evaluation and archiving of radiation accidents based on case histories (SEARCH, n = 24). The cases ranged from unexposed [response category 0 (RC 0, n = 89)] to mild (RC 1, n = 45), moderate (RC 2, n = 19), severe (RC 3, n = 20), and lethal (RC 4, n = 18) acute radiation syndrome. During the previous exercise, expert teams successfully predicted hematological acute radiation syndrome severity, determined whether hospitalization was required, and gave treatment recommendations, taking advantage of different software tools developed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization teams. The authors provided the same data set to radiobiology students who were introduced to the medical management of acute effects after radiation exposure and the software tools during a class lasting 15 h. Corresponding to the previous results, difficulties in the discrimination between RC 0/RC 1 and RC 3/RC 4, as well as a systematic underestimation of RC 1 and RC 2, were observed. Nevertheless, after merging reported response categories into clinically relevant groups (RC 0-1, RC 2-3, and RC 3-4), it was found that the majority of cases (95.2% ± 2.2 standard deviations) were correctly identified and that 94.7% (±2.6 standard deviations) developing acute radiation syndrome and z96.4% (±1.6 standard deviations) requiring hospitalization were identified correctly. Two out of three student teams also provided a dose estimate. These results are comparable to the best-performing team of the 2015 North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercise (response category: 92.5%; acute radiation syndrome: 95.8%; hospitalization: 96.3%).

Recent initiatives for radiation oncology resident education in radiation and cancer biology.

Nearly all residents from accredited radiation oncology residency programs in the United States are required to take the American College of Radiology (ACR) In-Training examination each year. The test is comprised of three sections: Clinical Radiation Oncology, Radiological Physics, and Radiation (and Cancer) Biology. Here we provide an update on changes to the biology portion of the ACR exam. We also discuss the availability and use of the ACR and biology practice exams as assessment and teaching tools for both the instructors of radiation and cancer biology and the residents they teach.