2025-2026 MCW Radiation Oncology Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 25
2025-2026 Medical College of Wisconsin, Radia琀椀on Oncology Annual Report
support and vision, and the exper琀椀se of a radia琀椀on physicist with MR exper琀椀se, Eric Paulson PhD, the transi琀椀on
to MR-based brachytherapy began. Ini琀椀ally, pa琀椀ents were wheeled sedated to Diagnos琀椀c Radiology for their
brachytherapy MR, but, in 2009, a Verio MR scanner was installed in the Radia琀椀on Oncology department
and pa琀椀ents were wheeled sedated on the MR table to undergo a planning MR with each inser琀椀on. This gave
a detailed view of the remaining tumor a昀琀er external beam irradia琀椀on as well as the adjacent normal organs
and allowed for be琀琀er sculp琀椀ng of the radia琀椀on dose with the goal of improved local control and
decreased complica琀椀on risk. With the exper琀椀se of the physics team, Eric Paulson, PhD and Jason Rownd, MS,
not only were the pa琀椀ents able to be imaged with the applicator in place, but the radia琀椀on plan could also
be created on the MR images. FMLH/MCW was one of the first ins琀椀tu琀椀ons in the US to be able to create
brachytherapy plans exclusively on MR images rather than requiring fusion to CT images. Given this exper琀椀se,
Dr. Erickson and Jason Rownd, MS, par琀椀cipated in the Groupe Européen de Curiethérapie and the
European SocieTy for Radiotherapy & Oncology (GEC ESTRO) Working Group (WG) with publica琀椀on of
the sen琀椀nel interna琀椀onal guideline for 3D Imaged- Based Treatment Planning in Cervix Cancer Brachytherapy.
The GEC ESTRO WG completely revolu琀椀onized brachytherapy prac琀椀ces for cervix cancer across the world, with
guidelines summarized in the 2013 ICRU 89 report within which Dr. Erickson and Jason Rownd, MS were coauthors. Recently Dr. Erickson has led an interna琀椀onal group of Gyn Oncology experts.
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