New Initiative Gives Cancer Physics A Boost - Queensland University Of Technology, Australia

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine
Article Date: 11 Aug 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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A health initiative spearheaded by QUT has received $800,000 from Queensland Health, allowing the university to attempt to raise the profile and increase the recognition of the field of cancer physics in the state.

The initiative will also aim to increase the levels of job satisfaction and level of external support for hospital-based physicists.

Professor Christian Langton, who came to Queensland University of Technology in February from the University of Hull in the UK, has been asked to lead this project.

"I was asked to look at how to improve the issues of recruitment and retention of physicists in the hospital sector, as well as how to raise the profile of cancer physics both nationally and internationally," he said.

"With the planned expansion of radiation oncology treatment provision throughout Queensland, it is essential that we have a sufficient number of hospital-based physicists.

"I thought to bring everyone together in a collaboration of physicists, therapists and oncologists, with the aim for Queensland to become an internationally acclaimed, academically minded Cancer Physics centre of excellence, breaking down professional and institutional barriers."

The Queensland Cancer Physics Collaborative operates under four domains: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Service Provision, Education and Training, Research and Innovation, and e-Networking and Awareness.

Professor Langton said the $800,000 would primarily go towards the appointment of two post-Doctoral researcher/trainee physicist posts, along with establishing Australasia's first Radiation Oncology Simulation Environment (3D-ROSE).

The simulator would provide a virtual-reality experience of radiotherapy treatment rooms and procedures, which in addition to training and research roles, may also have a valuable awareness role for cancer patients and their families.

Other initiatives planned include clinical exchange placements for trainees with international centres, and university-hospital partnership PhD studentships.

"For Queensland Health, the bottom line is making Queensland more attractive for physicists to work here, so we needed to find out why there are disappointing levels of recruitment and retention, to see what could be done," said Professor Langton.

"The feedback was that these physicists often feel that they are not recognised and valued, and that they are not given enough research time in hospitals.

"As a result, all the things we are doing will look at increasing the job satisfaction and recognition of hospital-based physicists, through the creation of a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional collaborative environment."

Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the collaboration would attract and retain much-needed cancer physicists in the state.

"This is the first initiative of its kind in Australia, and aims to increase the Queensland workforce by making careers in cancer physics more attractive, luring back physicists who have gone elsewhere and retaining our current staff," he said.

"The initiative will heavily focus on professional development and providing physicists with a training pathway, research, e-learning and more public recognition of the important role cancer physicists play in the treatment of patients with cancer."

Queensland University of Technology