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Sep 30
Education

EDU 50 - Managing Radiotherapy-Induced Symptoms; Practical Evidence-Based Strategies for the Radiation Oncologist

04:00pm - 05:00pm PT
Palliative Care

MODERATOR(S)

Kris Dennis, MD, PhD - Division of Radiation Oncology, The Ottawa Hospital & the University of Ottawa

session DESCRIPTION

Managing symptoms induced by radiotherapy is an important component of radiation oncology practice. Unfortunately, audits demonstrate practice patterns that do not align ideally with symptom control guidelines and surveys suggest radiation oncologists are not always confident in their abilities to manage their patients symptoms. Inadequate symptom control worsens patients quality of life, leads to treatment interruptions and can ultimately compromise oncologic outcomes. Many factors likely contribute to the problem including knowledge gaps with respect to: the incidence of common radiotherapy-induced symptoms, practice patterns in their management, and available clinical practice guidelines. This case-based session will focus on symptoms commonly induced by radiotherapy including nausea and vomiting, pain flare, mucositis and dermatitis. Attendees will be updated on the incidence, natural history and impact of these symptoms, communication strategies for discussing them with patients, practice patterns in the management of these symptoms, and evidence describing strategies to prevent and treat them including clinical practice guidelines. Attendees will be challenged to implement processes into their own practices that will track and audit clinical behaviors relevant to high quality evidence-based symptom management.

learning objectives

  1. Determine the risks of common radiotherapy-induced symptoms posed to their patients.
  2. Identify knowledge gaps in the symptom control literature relevant to modern radiotherapy practice.
  3. Implement processes to track and audit clinical behaviors relevant to evidence-based symptom management.

Credits

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits: 1.00

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