Courses in Radiation Therapy

"P" refers to a course prerequisite and "C" to a course that must be taken concurrently.

AHLT J101 Orientation to Radiation Therapy (2-4 cr.) Overview of radiation oncology and the role of the radiation therapist. Basic radiation protection, patient care particular to the clinical setting, and equipment procedures and techniques. Discussions of computers and hyperthermia are also presented. The two-credit offering is an option for radiographers only.

AHLT J181 Clinical Practicum I (2 cr.) Clinical experience in the use of equipment, simulations, and delivery of radiation treatments through observation and assistance under direct supervision of a radiation therapist.

AHLT J182 Clinical Practicum II (4 cr.) P: AHLT J181 or AHLT R290. Clinical experience in patient positioning, mould construction, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, dosimetry, treatment planning, patient care, and radiation protection under direct supervision of a radiation therapist.

AHLT J200 Technical Radiation Oncology (3 cr.) P: AHLT J101. Technical aspects of radiation oncology emphasizing clinical utilization of simulators and treatment machines. Presentations will include distinctive properties of several pathology setup considerations, contouring methods, auxiliary equipment, and basic hand calculations.

AHLT J201 Clinical Radiation Oncology I (3 cr.) P: AHLT J101. Fundamental clinical practice in radiation oncology to include the roles and principles of tumor pathology and surgical, radiation, and medical oncology. Malignant conditions, etiology, methods of treatment, patient prognosis, treatment results, and effects of combined therapies are presented. Student case presentations required.

AHLT J202 Clinical Radiation Oncology II (3 cr.) P: AHLT P201. Fundamental clinical practice in radiation oncology: malignant conditions, etiology, methods of treatment, patient prognosis, treatment results, and effects of combined therapies. Student case studies required.

AHLT J203 Treatment Planning (3 cr.) P: AHLT J200. Concepts of clinical dosimetry and treatment planning. Delivery methods, to include single- and multiple-beam techniques, are discussed. Tumor localization, dose calculations, and summation of idodose curves are performed.

AHLT J204 Quality Assurance and Radiation Protection (3 cr.) P: AHLT R260. Identification of the team approach to quality assurance and the principles and concepts. Implementation of methods for quality control is discussed. Practical radiation protection for the radiation therapist will be presented.

AHLT J250 Physics of Radiation Therapy I (3 cr.) P: AHLT R250. Fundamental principles of the physical qualities of radiation and atomic and nuclear theory. To include presentations on radiation therapy equipment measurement and quality of radiation and measurement of absorbed dose and calculation techniques.

AHLT J251 Physics of Radiation Therapy II (3 cr.) P: AHLT J250. Emphasizing the principles of radioactivity, radiation detection, measurement devices, equipment calibration, brachytherapy, and calibration techniques. Principles and concepts of radiation protection are discussed.

AHLT J281 Clinical Practicum III (4 cr.) P: AHLT J182. Clinical experience in patient positioning, mould construction, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, dosimetry, treatment planning, patient care, and radiation protection under the direct supervision of a radiation therapist.

AHLT J282 Clinical Practicum IV (4 cr.) Clinical experiences in patient positioning, mould construction, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, treatment planning, patient care, and radiation protection under supervision of a radiation therapist.

AHLT J300 Simulation/Treatment Procedures (6 cr.) P: AHLT R103, AHLT R104, and AHLT R185. Lecture and laboratory sessions emphasizing the clinical utilization of simulators and treatment machines.

AHLT J301 Orientation to Radiation Oncology (4 cr.) P: R.T.(R). An overview of radiation oncology and the role of the radiation therapist. Presentations will orient students to the physical and biological basis of radiation oncology equipment, procedures, tumor pathology, and patient interaction.

AHLT J302 Radiation Oncology Techniques I (3 cr.) P: R.T.(R) or AHLT R102, J300, and J350. Lecture and laboratory sessions presenting concepts of treatment-planning techniques of head, pelvis, spine, lung, and brain. To include implant localization techniques.

AHLT J303 Clinical Oncology I (3 cr.) P: R.T.(R) or AHLT R102, and AHLT J300. Examines the roles and principles of tumor pathology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and medical oncology. To include the characteristics, growth patterns, and treatment modalities utilized for tumors of the lung and central nervous system.

AHLT J304 Radiation Oncology Patient Care (2 cr.) P: R.T.(R) or AHLT R104. Concepts of radiation oncology patient care, including considerations of patients’ physical and psychological condition. Factors influencing patients’ general health during and following a course of radiation therapy treatments will be identified.

AHLT J305 Clinical Dosimetry I (2 cr.) Review of fundamental mathematics concepts as they relate to practical dosimetry and performing routine calculations pertaining to patient set-up and treatment.

AHLT J306 Clinical Dosimetry II (2 cr.) P: AHLT J305. Development of computer treatment planning skills in radiation oncology.

AHLT J307 Medical Imaging and Processing in Radiation Oncology (2 cr.) Fundamentals of radiologic exposure techniques, latent image formation, and processing of radiographs utilized in radiation oncology.

AHLT J350 Clinical Experience: Basic (3 cr.) P: AHLT R103, AHLT R104, and AHLT R185. Clinical observation and assistance in the clinical skills of radiation therapy technology under the direct supervision of a registered radiation therapy technologist.

AHLT J351 Clinical Practicum I (2 cr.) P: R.T.(R) or AHLT J350. Clinical application of patient positioning immobilization, block fabrication, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, dosimetry, treatment planning, patient care management, and radiation protection under the direct supervision of a registered radiation therapy technologist.

AHLT J400 Physics of Radiation Oncology I (2 cr.) P: R.T.(R) or AHLT R250; MATH 147 and 148 or MATH 150; PHYS P201 and P218. Fundamental principles of the physical quantities of radiation and atomic and nuclear theory. To include discussions of radiation oncology equipment.

AHLT J401 Physics of Radiation Oncology II (2 cr.) P: AHLT J400. Continuation of J400 with emphasis on the interactions of ionizing radiation with matter; radiation detection and measurement devices; radiation units; equipment calibration; brachytherapy; and calculation techniques. Principles and concepts of radiation protection are discussed.

AHLT J402 Radiation Oncology Techniques II (3 cr.) P: AHLT J302. Lecture and laboratory sessions present concepts of treatment-planning techniques of breast, esophagus, mantel and inverted-Y, pituitary, total body and hemi-body, and common palliative portals.

AHLT J403 Clinical Oncology II (3 cr.) P: R.T.(R) and AHLT J303 or AHLT R102, AHLT R103, AHLT R104, AHLT R185, AHLT J300, and AHLT J303. Examines the characteristics, growth patterns, and treatment modalities utilized for tumors of the female genital, urological, male genital, breast, head and neck, bone and soft tissue, hematopoietic, alimentary tract, lumphorecticular, and pediatric sites. Student case presentations required.

AHLT J404 Quality Control and Assurance I (2 cr.) P: AHLT J302, AHLT J303, AHLT J305, AHLT J351, AHLT J450, and AHLT J451. Identification of the principles and concepts of the team approach to quality assurance. Includes spot checking techniques of patient records, room conditions, accessory checks, patient communication devices, and treatment equipment. Lab included.

AHLT J405 Quality Control and Assurance II (2 cr.) P: AHLT J404. Continuation of J404 with emphasis on quality control checks for linear accelerators, cobalt-60 units, film, and brachytherapy inventory. Includes lab.

AHLT J406 Radiation and Cancer Biology (2 cr.) Emphasis on the modern principles of cellular and molecular biology as they relate to normal and cancer cell response both in vitro and in vivo to various radiation types, i.e., X/gamma rays, neutrons, and charged particles. Topics include dose time, fractionation, repair, tumor kinetics, hyperthermia, and radiation protection.

AHLT J409 Senior Project in Radiation Oncology (3 cr.) Individual research in radiation oncology. Research proposal requires the approval of the program director.

AHLT J450 Clinical Practicum II (3 cr.) P: AHLT J351. Clinical application of patient positioning immobilization, block fabrication, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, dosimetry, treatment planning, patient care management, and radiation protection under the direct supervision of a registered radiation therapist or equivalent. Required clinical competencies will be evaluated..

AHLT J451 Clinical Practicum III (3 cr.) P: AHLT J450. Clinical application of patient positioning immobilization, block fabrication, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, dosimetry, treatment planning, patient care management, and radiation protection under the direct supervision of a registered radiation therapist or equivalent. Required clinical competencies will be evaluated.

AHLT J452 Clinical Practicum IV (3 cr.) P: AHLT J451. Clinical application of patient positioning immobilization, block fabrication, patient simulation techniques, treatment delivery, dosimetry, treatment planning, patient care management, and radiation protection under the direct supervision of a registered radiation therapist or equivalent. Required clinical competencies will be evaluated.