Invitation

SAAPMB ANNUAL CONGRESS
17 – 21 SEPTEMBER 2012

RADISSON BLU HOTEL – PORT ELIZABETH

Congress theme: Safety and Quality Management in Radiation Therapy

For the first time since 1979, the annual SAAPMB congress and school will be held in Port Elizabeth. I would like to invite all interested in the field of medical physics, radiotherapy, and radiobiology as well as radiation protection to join us in the friendly city and make this event a memorable and enjoyable occasion.

Safety in radiation therapy was put in the spotlight in a series of front-page newspaper stories published in the New York Times in 2010 on injuries that occurred nationwide in the USA in the delivery of radiation treatment. In the light of this, the theme of the 51st annual SAAPMB congress and school will be Safety and Quality Management in Radiation Therapy. All over the world it is seen that the introduction of, and increasing dependence upon, advanced technologies such as intensity-modulated and image-guided radiotherapy, has permitted errors to occur that might otherwise have been detected. There are also indications that the demands of advanced technologies on department resources have drawn resources away from simpler or basic functions.

We would therefore like to invite you to the congress and school to come and share your experience and research on these and other issues and to enjoy the company of your colleagues in our friendly and beautiful city.

REASONS TO ATTEND:

Over a period of five days including 2 days dedicated to the congress theme you will:

• Enjoy a vast variety of learning sessions and a brilliant social programme
• Have access to companies showcasing their latest products & services
• Network with old friends and colleagues, and make new ones from around the world

The annual SAAPMB congress and school is the premier scientific meeting for medical physicists, radiation protection experts, radiobiologists and other scientists and students in the field of radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, radiation protection and diagnostic radiology. We would like to extend this invitation to other stakeholders in radiation therapy including radiation oncologists and radiographers to join us in Port Elizabeth for an event that will go a long way in setting higher standards for patient care in radiotherapy in South Africa.

Johan Engelbrecht
Chair - Organising Committee