"It's a lot of fun when you share your work with diagnostic colleagues, and we work very closely with them,” commented Dr Helen McNair, lead research radiographer at the Royal Marsden, speaking to delegates at UKIO Online 2020 about the benefits of MRI in a therapeutic radiography setting.
The Marsden has had a dedicated MR-linac installation in the radiotherapy department for almost two years. Previously, Helen and her team had to share MRI resources with diagnostic colleagues.
There is a wide range of benefits to using MRI within therapeutic radiography, Helen told delegates, including improved patient outcomes, increased job satisfaction, and close team working.
“The image quality when compared to CT is amazing with some anatomy showing up that we would never have seen before, providing good quality imaging before and at the time of treatment,” she said.
Key messages
- Radiographers can be used much more efficiently
- Role expansion is the way forward
- Evidence is key: keep reporting improved and positive patient outcomes
- MDT working is essential
- This is a natural evolution for radiographers
Entitled Physics: MRI imaging in radiotherapy and MRI for external beam radiotherapy - where are we now?, the session also featured Dr Richard Speight, principal clinical scientist, Leeds Cancer Centre, who presented an update and recommendations from the IPEM working party on MRI for external beam radiotherapy.
His group is studying MR used in radiotherapy centres internationally to inform recommendations and guidelines for the UK, which are expected to be published later this year.
Some of the best sessions from the programme planned for UKIO 2020, which was due to be held in Liverpool from 1-3 June, are being presented online. Delivered in bite-sized chunks over the summer, all content will be available in a listen-again library.
Download the full programme and see details for sessions open for registration.