HPTC RT Exam case studies
HPTC RT Exam · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The HPTC Radiation Therapist Exam is a certification-style examination for radiation therapists who deliver daily radiotherapy treatments and want independent, third-party validation of their knowledge. Candidates typically come from hospital cancer centres, private radiotherapy clinics, or academic programmes, and may hold a diploma or degree in radiation therapy with clinical placement experience. The HPTC RT Exam case studies are 5 cases and about 4,098 words.
1Ir-192 HDR Source Fails to Retract During Prostate Brachytherapy
A 67-year-old man with intermediate-risk prostate cancer is receiving the second of three HDR brachytherapy fractions, 15 Gy per fraction, with an iridium-192 source of about 10 Ci delivered through a transperineal template with 16 catheters. He is under spinal anesthesia with a Foley catheter in place.
931 words, about 5 min2Lung SBRT Plan Built on a Single Free-Breathing Scan With 11 mm Motion
A 74-year-old former smoker with stage I non-small cell lung cancer in the right upper lobe (2.6 cm, peripheral, abutting the pleura) is scheduled for 54 Gy in 3 fractions with VMAT. His FEV1 is 38% predicted and he cannot hold his breath for more than 8 seconds without coughing.
821 words, about 4 min3Mask Loosens Mid-Course in Head and Neck IMRT With an SIB
A 58-year-old man with T2N2M0 base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma is receiving definitive IMRT, 66 Gy in 30 fractions, with weekly cisplatin. He was simulated in a 5-point thermoplastic mask with a bite block.
809 words, about 4 min4Grade 3 Moist Desquamation in the Inframammary Fold During Whole Breast Radiotherapy
A 54-year-old woman is receiving adjuvant whole breast radiotherapy after lumpectomy for a 2.1 cm hormone receptor-positive left breast cancer: 50 Gy in 25 fractions to the whole breast followed by a 10 Gy in 5 fraction lumpectomy bed boost, using tangential fields with a daily 5 mm bolus over the incision. At fraction 18 she shows the therapist a 4 x 6 cm area of confluent moist desquamation in the inframammary fold, with pain 6/10, and says she can no longer wear a bra.
777 words, about 4 min5Laterality Conflict Between the Prescription and the Plan at the Time-Out
A 47-year-old woman with left-sided breast cancer treated by mastectomy and chemotherapy is scheduled for postmastectomy radiotherapy, including a left supraclavicular field. At the time-out before fraction 1, the therapist notices that the printed prescription and the approved plan both specify the left supraclavicular fossa, but the most recent physician progress note, written by the covering resident after the attending left for a conference, states right supraclavicular field, 50 Gy in 25 fractions.
760 words, about 4 min