NFYB18002U CANCELLED: Medical Physics 1

Skills

After the course, the top student will be able to:

Describe malignant and benign tumor growth and how this is diagnosed and treated in general terms.

Explain how radiation is used in cancer therapy and how advantages and disadvantages are measured.

Explain photons, electrons and protons interaction with matter.

Explain how radiation dose from photons, electrons and protons is measured. Calculate point doses in a patient.

Demonstrate an ability to plan and carry out a schematic experiment for measuring dose in a water phantom.

Calculate the radiation effect in biological tissue by use of the linear-quadric model.

Describe the molecular mechanisms behind the damaging effects of radiation and the mechanisms that counteract radiation damage in tissue.

Knowledge

The student knows how radiation is applied in the treatment of cancer and has a basic understanding of the effects from different kinds of radiation. The student can calculate the radiation dose in a patient, and, plan and carry out experiments where knowledge of a specific dose is needed. The course gives the student an introduction to central concepts related to the work as a medical physicist employed at a Hospital.

Competencies

The course will provide the student with a basic knowledge of radiation interaction and effects, and, radiation dosimetry. In addition, the student will be able to plan and carry out simple radiation experiments and evaluate and explain the results. Further, the course will give a basic knowledge about the effects of ionizing radiation on healthy as well as tumor tissue. The students will gain insight in some of the considerations involved when a radiation treatment is being planned at the hospitals.