GHS Physicists Excel in Worldwide Treatment Planning Competition
Thursday, March 29th, 2018
Two Greenville Health System physicists and one dosimetrist were recently honored in the ProKnow System’s inaugural World Championships of Treatment Planning.
Jonathan Stenbeck, a board-certified physicist and certified medical dosimetrist, earned the gold medal as the overall winner. Stenbeck received a Master of Science in Physics at the University of South Carolina-Columbia and has been with GHS since 2014.
Able Shores, a board-certified physicist and certified medical dosimetrist, finished third and was the bronze medal winner. Shores and Stenbeck previously participated in a radiation oncology treatment planning competition last year in which Shores took home the second place spot and Stenbeck finished first.
Peter Martin, certified medical dosimetrist, finished as a top 20 percent performer. Martin has been with GHS for over 16 years.
Dosimetrists and physicists play a critical role in cancer care by developing treatment plans to manage radiation dosages for patients receiving radiation therapy. Dosimetrists also ensure vital organs are protected from unnecessary radiation exposure.
The World Championships of Treatment Planning received 160 submissions from more than 30 countries representing some of the top cancer centers in the world. The contest featured a timed, four-hour live event in which the contestants were provided the same patient data sets, planning goals and metrics to achieve. Before the four-hour window closed, contestants submitted individual strategies for review. Medalists were rewarded for precision and efficiency in treatment planning, ensuring the mock patient received just the right amount of radiation to affect the cancerous tissue while mitigating risk to surrounding tissues.
“GHS is honored to have three radiation oncology team members recognized for their accomplishments,” said Jason Edwards, manager of medical physics and dosimetry. “It is no small thing that the global medal podium contained two of our GHS Cancer Institute employees. It speaks to the quality of our cancer care at every level, down to the precise amount of radiation a patient receives.”