How Many RSOs Does It Take To Change A Light Bulb? (Part 2 of 2)

Bryan McIntosh | CancerCare ManitobaRiver Cree Ballroom 1

Gamma Knife radiation therapy systems use a large array of precisely collimated Co-60 sources that are to treat brain tumours and perform some neurosurgeries without requiring major brain surgery. These Co-60 sources require replacement every five years to ensure that patients are treated in a reasonable time and to minimize changes in radiobiological effects due to a lower dose rate. Scheduling a source exchange is a complex affair, and can take up to two years to arrange depending on the location of the specialized loading equipment needed to transfer sources with total activities in the hundreds of terabecquerels.

CancerCare Manitoba has had several source exchanges since installing our first Gamma Knife system in 2003, and this presentation will detail what we have learned from these four procedures over the years. On the user side a source exchange involves a great deal of work from petitioning senior management to fund the exchange, coordinating schedules with Elekta and the rigging team for delivery of the new source and removal of the old source to ensure that their staff are available, and ensuring that security will be present in case any security systems are disabled during the exchange. Beyond those physical concerns we will also discuss how we coordinate schedules between Neurology, Oncology, and Physics to ensure that all departments are aware of when the system will be unavailable and when Physics will need to schedule their staff for commissioning. Throughout the source delivery and removal process there is also a great deal of communication required with the CNSC when receiving and shipping sources with high activities, well beyond what most modern radiation therapy departments deal with on a regular basis.

Wed 10:45 am - 12:00 pm