Radiation Oncology Unit

An updated revision of HPU 600 Radiation Oncology (Revision 7, October 2021) has been uploaded. The revised version has been informed by an extensive consultation process with clinical, operational and technical experts.

Key changes to the document include:

• Updated information regarding the types of radiation therapy including which types of therapy are undertaken by linear accelerators (linacs) versus requiring other specialised equipment, the types of therapy that will impact bunker design, and new treatments including particle therapy.
• Revised information relating to brachytherapy services.
• Updated information relating to medical imaging. Planning CT remains the mainstay imaging modality provided, however the use of MRI in radiation oncology is increasing including for planning and MRI guided linacs.
• Description of contemporary practices relating to the manufacture of custom designed patient items including immobilisation devices.  
• Updated information relating to medical physics and radiation engineering.
• Clarification noted that for the bunker design, a maze entry without doors is preferred as closed doors can make patients feel like they are locked in and shielded doors take time to open due to their weight. However, shielded doors to the bunker are used in some facilities where space is constrained or where pre-cast construction approaches are used.
• Updates to radiation safety considerations including key reference documents and jurisdictional legislation.
• General updates to the SOA to reflect contemporary practice and benchmarking to recently delivered facilities.
• Increase in the recommended bunker size in line with the recently revised AusHFG standard component ‘Linear Accelerator Treatment Room’. This relates to the method of measuring the room size to ensure sufficient indicative shielding is included early in planning processes prior to the development of project specific requirements.