Tom Boterberg (MD PhD, Associate Professor), Past Chair SIOPE-RO-WG 2019-2021
Ghent University Hospital - Belgium
Tom Boterberg graduated in 1994 at Ghent University (Belgium) and obtained his PhD (2000) and Board Certificate in Radiation Oncology in 2001. He currently works at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Ghent University Hospital, and the proton centre PARTICLE at University Hospital Leuven.
He is especially interested in paediatric oncology, haematology, neuro-oncology, radioprotection and medical management of nuclear and radiological emergencies.
He inaugural chair of the SIOPE-RO-WG and board member of SIOPE, where he launched the radiotherapy quality assurance programme for paediatric oncology trials ‘QUARTET’. In addition, he is chairman of the radiotherapy committee of SIOPEN (neuroblastoma), as well as member of the radiotherapy committee of EpSSG (rhabdomyosarcoma) and SIOP-RTSG (renal tumours). and is. He is (co-)author of over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, ten book chapters and editor of “Radiotherapy and the Cancers of Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults” (OUP 2020).
His ambition for the SIOPE-RO-WG is to further stimulate interaction between paediatric radiation oncologists, but also with directly and indirectly related professionals like physicists, radiotherapy technologists, dosimetrists and paediatric oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, etc.
Mark Gaze (MD), past steering committee member
University College London Hospital & Great Ormond Street Hospital – United Kingdom
Mark Gaze graduated in 1981 from the Medical College of Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital, University of London (UK), and following postgraduate training in Scotland where he wrote his MD thesis on The Targeted Radiotherapy of Neuroblastoma, he was accredited in clinical oncology in 1993. He works as a paediatric radiation oncologist at University College London Hospitals and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, which together comprise the largest centre for the treatment of children and young people with cancer in the UK. In addition to our treating local population, it is a national referral centre for brachytherapy, stereotactic treatment, molecular radiotherapy, and - from 2021 - proton beam therapy.
He is board member of PROS (Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society) and in this function also responsible for education in Europe. Previously, he chaired the radiotherapy groups of both SIOPEN and EpSSG, and was chair of the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group in the UK and Ireland. Currently, he is board member of the QUARTET group.
His interests and expertise lie principally in the treatment of neuroblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Over the years he worked to increase the radiotherapy questions in international Phase III trials, for example FaR-RMS for rhabdomyosarcoma and in neuroblastoma, HR2. In addition, he has led some UK phase II trials including a randomised study of dose escalation with intensity modulated arc radiotherapy for neuroblastoma, and a study of 177-Lutetium DOTATATE molecular radiotherapy for neuroblastoma. He has been involved in radiotherapy quality assurance, moving from retrospective analysis in the high-risk neuroblastoma 1 trial, towards prospective review. In addition, he initiated and led the writing of UK Good Practice Guide for Paediatric Radiotherapy, and has contributed to other UK radiotherapy guidance documents. He is (co-)author of more than 125 peer reviewed papers, several book chapters, and editor of “Radiotherapy and the Cancers of Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults” (OUP 2020).
His aims as steering committee member of the SIOPE-RO-WG are to reduce childhood cancer mortality and late effects through clinical trials; to develop a more robust and reliable evidence base for paediatric radiotherapy; to reduce geographical misses and other errors through systematic quality assurance; promotion of good practice in radiotherapy services, education and training of the multi-professional workforce; and to advocate for the specialty of paediatric radiation oncology and what it can do for children.