The Department of Radiotherapy is part of the Imaging Division (Radiology, Radiotherapy, Nuclear Medicine, Imaging Sciences Institute) of the UMC Utrecht. The department is a major participant in the graduate school Biomedical Image Sciences (ImagO) and part of the main research line Personalized Cancer Care of the University Medical Centre Utrecht. Within this setting extensive training and support of our radiotherapy Ph.D. students (28 fte), resident training for radiation oncology (12 fte) and clinical physics radiotherapy (5 fte) is guaranteed. ImagO provides scientific courses on all aspects of medical imaging, radiotherapy physics, intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), etc (see www.imago.uu.nl)). The department collaborates with a track clinical physics radiotherapy in the master's programme on Biomedical Image Sciences (www.bis.uu.nl).
The main research line of the department is MRI guided radiotherapy (MRI-RT). A strong tradition also exists in the field of thermal research on radiofrequency exposure.
The MRI-RT is a major subject in the Centre of Image Guided Oncological Interventions (Centrum voor Beeldgestuurde Oncologische Interventies, CBOI). Within this centre the newest MRI guided tumour treatments are being investigated in a close collaboration between Radiotherapy, Radiology and our industrial partners (Elekta, Philips and Nucletron). Examples are (i) the development of the MRI Linac (MRL) system for real time and on-line MRI guidance of external beam radiotherapy. (ii) the MRI guided brachytherapie, (iii) MRI based tumour characterization, delineation and treatment response assessment, (iv) the MRI guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for tumour ablation and medicine deposition. (v) MRI guided radioembolization of liver tumours using Holmium microspheres.
After the expansion in 2013 the department of Radiotherapy will have 11 Elekta linear accelerators for external beam radiotherapy of which 8 have a cone beam CT facility. One cone beam accelerator has a high resolution beam modulator and is dedicated for stereotactic treatments. All accelerators are capable to provide IMRT. Three additional treatment rooms will be dedicated to the development and clinical introduction of the MRL systems within the CBOI setting.