In November 2024, supported by funding from London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC’s) Academic Realignment Initiative Awards, a group of professional staff from LHSC and researchers from London Health Sciences Centre Research Institute (LHSCRI) hosted a hands-on workshop for health-care professionals interested in deepening their knowledge and practical skills in brachytherapy, a type of cancer treatment where small radioactive sources are placed directly inside or very close to a tumour.
During a two-day workshop held at the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre at Western University, participants from as far away as South America received a combination of lectures and hands-on skills training to help refine their expertise in brachytherapy. Despite its proven benefit in treating cervical and prostate cancers, the number of institutions and physicians capable of offering brachytherapy is declining worldwide. Addressing this gap was one of the objectives for Dr. Lucas Mendez, an Associate Scientist at LHSCRI and Radiation Oncologist at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at LHSC, when he applied to supervise a Clinical Fellow through the LHSC Academic Realignment Initiative Awards.
For Dr. Mendez, this project holds deep personal significance. As a native of Brazil, where cervical cancer rates are higher and access to brachytherapy remains limited, he has seen firsthand the impact that gaps in treatment can have on patients. His passion for expanding brachytherapy training stems from a commitment to ensuring that more physicians worldwide, especially in regions with high need, have the skills and knowledge to offer this life-saving treatment.
A unique workshop, set apart in its focus on highly engaging hands-on practice, was exactly what Dr. Mendez envisioned when applying to supervise this fellowship, which was filled by Dr. Maria Thereza Mansur Starling. Along with several colleagues in Radiation Oncology – including Drs. Douglas Hoover, Kathleen Surry, and Vikram Velker – they brought this idea to life with the Hands-On Workshop in Brachytherapy (HOW-BT).
“This workshop was truly a team effort, and I’m grateful to all my colleagues who helped bring it to life,” says Dr. Mendez. “In particular, Dr. Hoover played a fundamental role in supervising and guiding the workshop, ensuring that participants gained both the knowledge and practical experience to advance their expertise in brachytherapy.”
Specialized training
The first day of the workshop focused on treating gynecologic cancer and gave participants the chance for hands-on learning with a one-of-a-kind gynecological simulator that was developed by Dr. Donna Murrell, a clinician-scientist at LHSCRI and Medical Physicist at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre at LHSC.
“The simulator designed by Dr. Murrell is unique and allowed us to give attendees an incredibly realistic and engaging experience,” says Dr. Hoover, a clinician-scientist at LHSCRI and Medical Physicist at the Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre. “This is highly specialized equipment that many of our attendees would not otherwise have had the chance to train with.”
Dr. Murrell – whose research focuses on using 3D-printing to design technical solutions for unmet needs in medicine – worked closely with Dr. Kalin Penev from Modus Medical Devices on simulator design, 3D-modeling, and 3D-printing execution. The simulator development was backed by a Catalyst Grant for Cancer Research, an annual competition for cancer researchers supported by London Health Sciences Foundation.
The second day of the workshop focused on prostate brachytherapy. Participants learned about the tools and steps involved in the procedure and got to practice using a virtual reality training module developed by Dr. Humza Nusrat during his time at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Hands-on sessions allowed attendees to plan treatments and practice techniques, including the use of a prostate biopsy gun – a medical tool used to quickly and precisely remove small tissue samples from the prostate gland to check for cancer or other abnormalities – which was one of the most popular sessions for attendees.
“Facilitating this workshop was so important to our team, and it would not have been possible without support from our partners,” says Dr. Hoover. “With the outstanding feedback we’ve received for the event, we’ll look to elevate our offerings even further at our next workshop.”