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Dr.
Peter Dunscombe
Division Head
Within
the Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Calgary, there are two Divisions involved in the provision of
radiation treatment services to cancer patients in Southern Alberta.
These are the Division of Radiation Oncology (Head: Dr. David
Skarsgard) and the Division
of Medical Physics (Head: Dr. Peter Dunscombe). Both Academic
Divisions report to the Head of the Department of Oncology.
The
Division of Medical Physics, Department of Oncology, comprises
6 GFT and 4 adjunct faculty, all based at the Tom Baker Cancer
Centre. All 10 physicists hold adjunct appointments in the Department
of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Calgary.
The
Academic Faculty, through their roles in the clinical Department
of Medical Physics, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, supports the treatment
of approximately 3000 new and re-treat patients annually on 10
megavoltage units. A full range of ancillary equipment is available
including one conventional and 2 CT simulators, HDR and prostate
brachytherapy and treatment planning on the Eclipse© Treatment
Planning System. Active clinical programs exist in Intensity Modulated
Radiation Therapy, Prostate Brachytherapy, Stereotactic Radiosurgery
and Image Guided Radiation Therapy.
Strategic
Plan
Members of the Division will continue to implement, promote
and support application of the latest technology to high quality
patient care. Assistance with the commissioning of the radiation
treatment equipment at the Lethbridge Associate Cancer Centre
has been and continues to be a priority. Division members also
envisage further enhancements in the graduate and residency programs
for medical physicists through the University of Calgary.
Education
In addition to clinical support activities, members of the
Division participate in a variety of academic
programs. These include graduate programs leading to the award
of M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees through the University of Calgary.
Currently nine graduate students are enrolled in these programs.
Residency training in Radiation Oncology Physics is offered through
a Post-Doctoral Diploma program at the University of Calgary.
This was the first such program to be approved by the University.
Both the graduate and residency programs are CAMPEP accredited
(www.campep.org).
Staff also provide educational support to the Radiation
Oncology Residency Program and the School of Radiation Therapy.
Research
Research
interests are diverse and reflect both the interests of the
academic staff and clinical priorities within the Tom Baker Cancer
Centre. Topics included within the Division's research portfolio
range from prostate brachytherapy and imaging for diagnosis and
therapy to economic evaluation and health technology assessment.
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