Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40419116›Full record

ArticleRadiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology2025

Enhancing IMRT/VMAT Competencies in LMICs globally within radiation physicists through remote training.

Sierra M Silverwood, Caroline M Carlson, Hong Zhu, Cesar Della Biancia, Claire Dempsey, Adam Shulman, Timothy D Keiper, Sharareh Koufigar, Afua Yorke, Bilal Jalal and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Radiotherapy and oncology : journal of the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Sierra M SilverwoodRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States. Electronic address: silverwo@msu.edu.
Caroline M CarlsonRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States.
Hong ZhuRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States.
Cesar Della BianciaRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
Claire DempseyRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Radiation Oncology, Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital, Newcastle, Australia.
Adam ShulmanRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO, United States.
Timothy D KeiperDepartment of Radiation Medicine & Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States.
Sharareh KoufigarDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
Afua YorkeDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
Bilal JalalSr. Consultant Medical Physicist, Oncology Institute, Radiation Oncology Unit, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Cenji YuDepartment of Radiation Physics, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.
Doris DimitriadouDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, United States.
Lydia WilsonDepartment of Radiation Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States.
Tomi NanoRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Benjamin LiRayos Contra Cancer, Seattle, WA, United States; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.

Funding

X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYP30CA008748 · NCI · SLOAN-KETTERING INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RES · PI SELWYN M VICKERS · 1985 to 2026
$347.4M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA008748
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeHigh-quality intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)/volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is necessary to drive positive patient outcomes, yet gaps in staff training hinder its implementation in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). This work aimed to evaluate a large-scale remote training curriculum for medical physicists and clinicians with existing IMRT infrastructure in LMICs. MATERIALS AND

methodsA 15-week free, virtual course with weekly live sessions incorporating didactics and case-based learning led by expert volunteers was conducted. The first 500 registrants were accepted into the program. Participants' confidence and knowledge was evaluated via pre- and post-course surveys on a 1-5 Likert scale across seven IMRT/VMAT domains and through 11 multiple-choice questions. Participants also created treatment plans for standardized bilateral head-and-neck cancer cases, assessed by eight expert volunteers using qualitative rubrics and quantitative scorecards on the ProKnow DS platform. Performances were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.

resultsA total of 240 medical physicists, medical physics residents, and dosimetrists responded to both the pre- and post-course surveys. Mean confidence scores increased from 3.00/5 (SD: 1.04) to 3.80/5 (0.87) (p < 0.001). Knowledge scores improved from 4.16/11 (SD: 1.77) to 5.98/11 (SD: 2.11) (p < 0.001). Additionally, 33 participants completed both the pre-course and post-course treatment planning assignments. Automated scorecard performance significantly improved from 12.64/25 (SD: 7.50) to 17.74/25 (SD: 6.74) (p = 0.0004). Grading rubric scores did not significantly change, from 9.15/14 (SD: 3.33) to 9.76/14 (SD: 2.65) (p = 0.4).

conclusionThe virtual IMRT/VMAT curriculum significantly enhanced knowledge, confidence, and treatment planning skills among participants, demonstrating a scalable, low-cost intervention for improving IMRT/VMAT implementation in LMICs.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceEducation, DistanceHead and Neck NeoplasmsHealth PhysicsRadiotherapy, Intensity-ModulatedCurriculumDeveloping CountriesHumansEducationLow-resourceRadiation OncologyVirtual platforms

Identifiers

PMID40419116
PMCPMC13270582

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.