BIOGRAPHY
MD (UBC) 1989,
FRCPC (Radiation Oncology) 1994,
Canadian Cancer Society MacEachern Fellow (Harvard University) 1995
I am a staff Radiation Oncologist at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Center and appointed as Clinical Professor in the Department of Surgery of the University of British Columbia.
My clinical interests are in precision radiotherapy such as proton therapy for ocular tumors, stereotactic radiosurgery and radiotherapy for brain and GI tumors. I also have a special interest in post-graduate education. I have been a member of the Residency Training Committee since 2002 and served as the Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program Director of UBC from 2007 to 2011. I am the recipient of the Resident’s teaching award for the 2014-2015 academic year.
Abstract
With the recent technologic advancements in precision radiotherapy, Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) has become an efficacious and safe treatment option for both primary and secondary liver cancers.
SBRT treatment for liver cancer patients at the BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver Center started in 2010 using a motion encompassing Internal Target Volume (ITV) technique. Dynamic Tracking (DT) was commissioned for clinical treatment of liver cancer patients in October 2017.
Comparative planning studies between DT and ITV techniques for 22 primary liver cancer patients showed a significant decrease in the size of the Planning Target Volume and the mean liver dose, both favoring DT. Three months post irradiation toxicity data for the same cohort treated with DT showed only a 4% rate of liver toxicity. This compares very favorably with our historical cohort that was treated with the ITV technique.
Conclusion: DT is safe with a very low risk of clinically important acute toxicity.
