NEWS

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, EORTC is delighted to award Volha Herstyk a second-year fellowship (2024-2025) in Medical Physics at our Brussels headquarters. Building on ongoing research, Volha will focus on comparing two different methods for prescribing radiation doses to lung cancer patients who have undergone stereotactic radiation therapy*. One method prescribes the dose for a larger area, including the visible cancer and surrounding uncertain areas, while the other targets only the visible part of the cancer. Additionally, she will model the likelihood of cancer control, considering the uncertainties associated with both dose prescription methods.

In her second project, Volha will evaluate a new approach to auditing the quality of radiation therapy. This innovative method aims to replace the current virtual model used for site credentialing, improving the efficiency and reliability of quality assurance procedures in clinical trials.

Volha shares her vision for the future: “My vision is to elevate radiotherapy treatment standards and enhance Radiotherapy Quality Assurance (RTQA) procedures, fostering greater uniformity and standardization. Being a part of the EORTC’s RTQA team as a medical physics fellow offers me a unique chance to learn from accomplished professionals with diverse academic and practical backgrounds, further fuelling my passion for advancing cancer care. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to ECRF and its donors for making this invaluable opportunity a reality for me.”

* Stereotactic radiotherapy is a precise method of delivering a high dose of radiation to a tumour from multiple directions. This technique also can be used to treat areas of the body that have already received radiation therapy before.

About the EORTC Fellowship Programme

Established in 1991, the EORTC Fellowship Programme promotes European cancer clinical research by offering physicians, statisticians, and scientists the opportunity to immerse themselves in projects at EORTC headquarters. Fellows gain expertise in cancer clinical research methodology and contribute to international studies, leveraging EORTC’s extensive databases to publish impactful findings. This unique programme not only nurtures future leaders in oncology research but also enhances global collaboration in advancing cancer treatment standards.

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