NEWSLETTER 1 / 2022
|
|
 SINFONIA’s main ambition is to introduce a paradigm shift by going from the current generalised approach in risk appraisal to a personalised-driven methodology which will significantly improve the state-of-the-art of medical radiation protection. Project |
|
With a multidisciplinary team of 14 partners from 8 European countries, SINFONIA, a 4-year EURATOM funded project, aims to develop novel methodologies and tools that will provide a comprehensive a risk appraisal for detrimental effects of radiation exposure on patients, workers, carers and comforters, the public and the environment during the management of patients suspected or diagnosed with lymphoma and brain tumours.
The scientific work will (1) develop novel AI-powered personalised dosimetry and risk appraisal methods and tools to estimate the radiation burden on patients undergoing state-of-the-art radiological, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy procedures, (2) reinforce risk appraisal for exposed staff, comforters, the public and the environment during nuclear medicine and proton therapy procedures, (3) determine the degree of patient variability in radiation sensitivity for the risk of developing secondary malignancies and (4) design and develop data management techniques for managing data from imaging and non-imaging examinations and radiation therapy sessions. A data repository will be developed for storing data as well as for the deployment of AI algorithms on an online platform. SINFONIA research outcomes for the two clinical examples, lymphoma and brain tumours, will be also applicable to other diseases. AI-powered personalised dosimetry tools will provide advanced knowledge on parameters affecting radiation detriment. This will help balancing risks and benefits of ionising radiation procedures and developing dose optimisation strategies. Additionally, radiation biology studies will identify individuals with increased susceptibility of developing cancer from ionising radiation exposure. SINFONIA also will organise high-level multidisciplinary training in the field of radiation dosimetry, risk appraisal and radiation protection and develop recommendations on radiological protection.
|
|
 The work up to now, has been devoted to the establishment and approval of studies, literature review, data collection and data processing for the development of tools and training of AI models. First results |
|
Patient radiation risk appraisal through personalised dosimetry and AI: Patient data have been collected and personalized Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to develop tools for the estimation of patient dose from various X-ray modalities. Research on PET/CT has been focused on the development of tools for patient-specific internal radiation dosimetry calculations using deep learning techniques. Moreover, an analytical method for stray dose calculations from megavoltage radiation therapy has been identified and is under implementation.
Staff dosimetry: An AI-assisted computational system for real time staff dose assessment in nuclear medicine is under development. Data is being collected on detecting laboratory objects, tracking position and posture of medical staff, as well as for the 3D reconstruction of the workers and their surrounding environment. For the evaluation of the risk to which staff is exposed in nuclear medicine, measurements at 7 hospitals in 3 countries (Spain, Switzerland and Belgium) are being performed; for this purpose, a harmonized measurement protocol has been elaborated, indicating which type of dosimeters to wear on which positions and which information to record in pre-defined log sheets. For the evaluation of the exposure of caregivers, family members or staff when in close contact with nuclear medicine patients after injection with radiopharmaceuticals, the performance and accuracy of a computational framework based on Monte Carlo simulations is being evaluated. In addition, a field survey on staff dosimetry practices and doses measured on staff working in proton therapy centres in Europe has been carried out and the results have been analysed.
Environmental detriment: The impacts on human and biota from the release of radiopharmaceuticals by hospitals in sewers are currently assessed with the help of a transfer and biosphere models. The biological species considered are: Pelagic and Benthic Fish, Crustacean, Bivalve mollusc, Vascular plant, Phytoplankton and Zoplankton; while the radionuclide for which data has been collected are: 89Zr, 90Y, 99Mo, 99mTc, 131I, 131mXe, 133Xe, 177Lu, 177mLu, 223Ra, 225Ac, 226Ra and 227Th.
Assessment of variation in radiation sensitivity among patients: The collection of blood samples to determine the degree of intra-, and inter-individual variability in the level of RT-induced, SMN-related mutations is ongoing. A viable freezing of peripheral blood lymphocytes procedure has been established and successfully testes allowing for transfer of blood samples between different laboratories. The group of patients with primary cancers has been extended by including breast cancer patients.
Storing and accessing patient data in a centralised repository infrastructure: The prototype repository has been released providing the SINFONIA partners a usable data sharing tool.
Education and training: A survey has been carried out in order to analyse at EU level the gaps and good practices in dosimetry, radiobiology and radiation protection education and training. Furthermore, 5 high-level training courses have been prepared and currently accepting applications from professionals within EU. The framework and initial prototype for the context-aware training module has been created and will be integrated into the interactive and multidisciplinary MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on dosimetry/radiobiology/ radiation protection produced by SINFONIA.
|
|
 A training programme is currently being developed to train young clinicians, medical physicists, radiobiologists and other healthcare professionals as a team, which will stimulate the exchange of skills and knowledge within Europe.
Information about the courses is available on our website: https://www.sinfonia-appraisal.eu/education/. Training courses |
|
| |
Course |
Organiser |
Dates |
| 1 |
Cellular effects of ionising radiation – introduction to radiation biology |
SU |
Autumn 2022 (exact dates to be determined soon) |
| 2 |
Patient dosimetry and occupational radiation exposure assessment
arising from Lu‐177, Ga‐68, I‐131 and Y‐90 procedures |
SERGAS |
pre-course, online:
19.09.2022 - 21.09.2022
onsite:
28.09.2022 - 30.09.2022 |
| 3 |
Theoretical and practical fundamentals of radiation therapy |
SCO |
Autumn 2022 (exact dates to be determined soon) |
| 4 |
Introduction to Machine Learning / Deep Learning |
CESGA |
12.09.2022 - 16.09.2022 |
| 5 |
Course on personalized dosimetry and quantitative radiation risk
assessment |
UGENT |
To be determined |
|
|
|
The SINFONIA consortium consists of 14 hospitals, universities, R&D centres, and private research companies from 8 European countries, and incorporate multidisciplinary expertise in the fields of clinical dosimetry, radiotherapy, radiation biology, and artificial intelligence.
|
|
|
|
In the era of personalised medicine, SINFONIA wants to help clinicians to properly balance risks and benefits of ionising radiation procedures, and practitioners and medical physicists to develop dose optimisation strategies. Our tools and methodologies will produce new knowledge on parameters affecting radiation detriment.
|
|
|
|
