Applicator placement is the single most technique-dependent step in gynaecological brachytherapy - and it's a step you can now see, not guess. Ultrasound puts real-time, radiation-free imaging directly into the hands of the clinician performing the procedure, transforming a blind insertion into a guided one. Zedu’s two-day, hands-on course gives radiation oncology teams the practical scanning skills to bring point-of-care ultrasound into every brachytherapy insertion - improving accuracy, reducing complications, and giving you the spatial confidence to know exactly where your applicator sits before treatment begins. NOTE - as an ABG member enter your coupon code by editing your cart (after entering and submitting your registration details) to receive your exclusive member rate.

Who should attend

This course is designed for clinicians directly involved in the planning and delivery of pelvic brachytherapy, including:

• Radiation therapists and medical physicists involved in image-guided brachytherapy workflows
• Trainees and fellows in radiation oncology building foundational procedural imaging skills
• Gynaecological oncology teams working alongside brachytherapy services
• Radiation oncologists performing or overseeing intracavitary and interstitial applicator insertions

No prior ultrasound experience is required. Whether you're completely new to scanning or already use ultrasound occasionally and want to formalise and sharpen your technique, this course meets you where you are and builds you up to confident, independent practice.

Course Overview

Over two intensive, hands-on days, you'll move from foundational scanning principles through to the specific techniques used to guide applicator placement in real time. The course combines short, focused teaching sessions with extensive scanning practice - on real people and on phantoms - so you leave able to apply what you've learned immediately in clinical practice.

Objectives

On completion of this two-day clinically focused ultrasound program, you will be able to:

• Recognise common ultrasound artifacts and how they may assist or hinder image interpretation
• Confidently perform transabdominal pelvic ultrasound examinations
• Describe the anatomy and normal sonographic appearances of the female pelvic organs
• Recognise the common pelvic anatomical features and treatment related changes relevant to patients undergoing ultrasound guided brachytherapy procedures
• Use ultrasound to guide brachytherapy applicators into the correct position
• Describe the key concepts of transvaginal ultrasound, including patient preparation, probe handing, image orientation and its role in guiding brachytherapy procedures

Key Benefits for Attendees

• Real, hands-on scanning time - this isn't a lecture course. The majority of your two days is spent scanning, under guidance, building muscle memory you can take straight back to the treatment room
• Confidence in a high-stakes procedure - applicator placement carries real risk when done blind; leave knowing how to verify position in real time
• Vendor-neutral training - learn principles and technique that transfer across whatever ultrasound system your department uses
• Small-group, personalised coaching - practical sessions are supported by experienced faculty who give you direct feedback as you scan
• A clear pathway beyond the course - access to learning resources, and Zedu's ongoing coaching and peer support network to help the skills stick
• Immediately applicable skills - return to your department ready to integrate ultrasound guidance into routine brachytherapy workflow, not just in complex or difficult cases

Why Ultrasound Matters for Brachytherapists

Uterine perforation and applicator malposition remain persistent risks in intracavitary brachytherapy - and they're risks that real-time imaging can substantially reduce. A growing body of published evidence supports what a majority of Australian radiotherapy departments have already recognised: ultrasound guidance measurably improves the safety and accuracy of applicator insertion.

• A large single-institution series found that routine intraoperative ultrasound guidance substantially increased the rate of successful applicator placement and reduced uterine perforation compared with historical controls (Schaner et al., 2013).
• Ultrasound has been shown to reduce both the frequency of perforation and the time required for insertion, prompting some authors to ask whether tandem applicators should ever be placed without it (Davidson et al., 2008).
• In cases complicated by cervical stenosis or a retroverted uterus — scenarios where blind insertion carries the highest risk — ultrasound guidance has enabled safe, accurate placement with acceptable complication rates in patients who would otherwise be very difficult to manage (Mayr et al., 2005).
• A recent survey found that 86% of Australian radiotherapy departments already use ultrasound to guide applicator placement for gynaecological brachytherapy — making this not an emerging niche skill, but a core competency for modern practice (van Dyk et al., 2021).
• Ultrasound offers what MRI and CT often can't at the point of care: it's portable, affordable, radiation-free and available in real time, making it a natural fit for verifying applicator position and reducing reliance on postoperative imaging to catch problems after the fact (Schaner et al., 2013).

Improved technical quality of implants has been directly linked to reduced toxicity and better local control and survival outcomes. Ultrasound is one of the most practical, accessible ways to get there - and this course is where you build that skill, hands-on, under expert guidance.

A collaboration between Zedu and the Australasian Brachytherapy Group

References

• Davidson, M. T., Yuen, J., D'Souza, D. P., Radwan, J. S., Hammond, J. A., & Batchelar, D. L. (2008). Optimization of high-dose-rate cervix brachytherapy applicator placement: The benefits of intraoperative ultrasound guidance. Brachytherapy, 7(3), 248–253.
• Mayr, N. A., Montebello, J. F., Sorosky, J. I., Daly, J. P., Arthur, D. W., Zhang, D., & Fowler, J. (2005). Brachytherapy management of the retroverted uterus using ultrasound-guided implant applicator placement. Brachytherapy, 4(1), 24–29.
• Schaner, P. E., Caudell, J. J., De Los Santos, J. F., Fiveash, J. B., & Kim, R. Y. (2013). Intraoperative ultrasound guidance during intracavitary brachytherapy applicator placement in cervical cancer: The University of Alabama at Birmingham experience. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 23, 559.
• van Dyk, S., Khaw, P., Lin, M.-Y., Chang, D., & Bernshaw, D. (2021). Ultrasound-guided brachytherapy for cervix cancer. Clinical Oncology, 33(9), e403–e411.