Physics seminar Nov. 18 on “Radiation Therapy”
Friday, Nov. 18 • 2:30 p.m. • Hagen Hall 325
A physics seminar on “Radiation Therapy” will be held Friday, November 18, from 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. in Hagen Hall 325. The speaker is Libby Hegge, from Sanford Health.
Medical physicists supervise the use of radiation to treat cancerous lesions and ensure radiation safety in radiation oncology. Patients are treated using two different radiation modalities: external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy. Basic underlying physics principles include radioactivity in brachytherapy and photon/electron beam attenuation in external beam radiation therapy. Physicists are involved in calibration and upkeep of equipment including linear accelerators and treatment planning for both external beam radiation therapy and brachytherapy. Physicists assist physicians in determining adequate patient treatment and setup and ensuring desired treatment is achieved.