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Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., Vol. 79, No. 3, pp.

853–859, 2011
Copyright Ó 2011 Elsevier Inc.
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved
0360-3016/$–see front matter

doi:10.1016/j.ijrobp.2009.10.054

CLINICAL INVESTIGATION Education

TEACHING THE ANATOMY OF ONCOLOGY: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF


A DEDICATED ONCOANATOMY COURSE

JUNZO P. CHINO, M.D.,* W. ROBERT LEE, M.D., M.S., M.A., ED.,* RICHARD MADDEN, PH.D.,y
ERSHELA L. SIMS, PH.D.,y TRACY L. KIVELL, PH.D.,y SARA K. DOYLE, PH.D.,y TERRY L. MITCHELL, PH.D.,y
E. JANE HOPPENWORTH, M.A.,* AND LAWRENCE B. MARKS, M.D.z
From the *Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; yDepartment of Evolutionary
Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC; and zDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Purpose: Anatomic considerations are often critical in multidisciplinary cancer care. We developed an anatomy-
focused educational program for radiation oncology residents integrating cadaver dissection into the didactic
review of diagnostic, surgical, radiologic, and treatment planning, and herein assess its efficacy.
Methods and Materials: Monthly, anatomic-site based educational modules were designed and implemented
during the 2008–2009 academic year at Duke University Medical Center. Ten radiation oncology residents partic-
ipated in these modules consisting of a 1-hour didactic introduction followed by a 1-hour session in the gross
anatomy lab with cadavers prepared by trained anatomists. Pretests and posttests were given for six modules,
and post-module feedback surveys were distributed. Additional review questions testing knowledge from prior
sessions were integrated into the later testing to evaluate knowledge retention. Paired analyses of pretests and
postests were performed by Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Results: Ninety tests were collected and scored with 35 evaluable pretest and posttest pairs for six site-specific
sessions. Posttests had significantly higher scores (median percentage correct 66% vs. 85%, p < 0.001). Of 47 evalu-
able paired pretest and review questions given 1–3 months after the intervention, correct responses rates were
significantly higher for the later (59% vs. 86%, p = 0.008). Resident course satisfaction was high, with a median
rating of 9 of 10 (IQR 8-9); with 1 being ‘‘less effective than most educational interventions’’ and 10 being
‘‘more effective than most educational interventions.’’
Conclusions: An integrated oncoanatomy course is associated with improved scores on post-intervention tests,
sustained knowledge retention, and high resident satisfaction. Ó 2011 Elsevier Inc.

Oncology, Anatomy, Resident education, Radiation.

INTRODUCTION Council for Graduate Medical Education for all otolaryngol-


ogy residency programs (5–9).
Gross anatomy has been part of a long-standing tradition in
The ‘‘oncoanatomy’’ course at the Duke University Med-
medical education. However, hours devoted to teaching anat-
ical Center was designed in 2005 to address this need (10).
omy have been declining (1–3). Up to 71% of residency
The course goal was to reintegrate the often-forgotten gross
directors report that incoming residents either require a re-
anatomic relationships (usually learned in the first year of
fresher anatomy course or are ‘‘seriously lacking in anatomic
medical school) with relevant oncologic problems. We herein
knowledge’’ (1).
assess the educational impact of this initiative.
Radiation oncologists require an intimate understanding of
anatomy, in the diagnosis and staging of disease via physical,
radiologic, and pathologic examinations, and in the appropri- METHODS AND MATERIALS
ate selection of therapies (4). An intimate knowledge of anat-
Course description
omy must be cultivated to further one’s expertise in the field. The ‘‘oncoanatomy’’ course at Duke is based on monthly mod-
However, reviewing gross anatomy via cadaver prosections ules addressing a specific body region or tumor site where anatomic
is not a traditional part of the radiation oncology residency. relationships are particularly pertinent to radiation oncologists (10).
This is in contrast to many surgical subspecialties; for exam- This analysis is limited to the 2008–2009 academic year for modules
ple, cadaver lab experience is a required by the Accreditation listed in Table 1. Module subjects were determined by the chief

Reprint requests to: Junzo Chino M.D., DUMC Box 3085, Dur- Conflict of interest: none.
ham, NC 27710. Tel: 919-668-7336; Fax: 919-668-7345; E-mail: Received Aug 4, 2009, and in revised form Oct 28, 2009.
junzo.chino@duke.edu Accepted for publication Oct 29, 2009.
Supported in part by an Innovations Grant from the Duke Univer-
sity School of Medicine office of Graduate Medical Education.
853
854 I. J. Radiation Oncology d Biology d Physics Volume 79, Number 3, 2011

Table 1. Oncoanatomy modules 2008-2009 in gross anatomy). Appropriate resources for the anatomic lab
session are then obtained and organized by the anatomists.
Pancreatic cancer
Existing cadavers and anatomic models from the medical school
Gastric cancer
Cancer in the mediastinum (including nodal metastases, thymoma, gross anatomy course are used in the current phase of the project.
lymphoma, and germ cell tumors) The individual modules have been opened to residents and faculty
Nasopharyngeal cancer from other disciplines as relevant to their interest, but the radiation
Lymph node drainage patterns for cancers of the head and neck oncology department is the primary instigator and beneficiary of the
Prostate cancer course. Costs for 50% full-time equivalent of an anatomist and 60%
Cervical cancer full-time equivalent of the residency coordinator are provided by an
Base of skull tumors Innovations Grant from the Duke University School of Medicine
Laryngeal cancer department of Graduate Medical Education (W.R.L., P.I.).
Retroperitoneal sarcoma Each module consists of two 1-hour sessions. The first hour is
Pancoast (superior sulcus) tumors
a clinically oriented presentation by our residents and faculty that
is similar to our conventional educational conferences. This typi-
resident (J.C.) in conjunction with the residency program director cally includes reviewing a patient case and the relevant radiographic
(W.R.L.) for each semester. This is submitted to the primary anato- anatomy. Time is devoted to defining critical normal tissues on the
mist for the project (R.M.), and the subjects of interest in each treatment planning images (i.e., image segmentation), an important
module are discussed (i.e., nodal patterns of drainage from head- factor during radiation treatment field design. The second session
and-neck site), along with defining a common vocabulary (i.e., the begins with a brief, 10-min introduction by the anatomists that in-
‘‘internal mammary artery’’ is termed the ‘‘internal thoracic artery’’ cludes review of anatomic diagrams and an orientation to up to

Fig. 1. Selected stations for the base of skull oncoanatomy module. (A) Prosection of the base of base of skull, posteroin-
ferior view. (B) Dry skull floor, superior view. (C) Prosection of the cranial fossae, superior view. (D) Prosection of the
cranial fossae with partial brain and brainstem intact, superolateral view. (E) Intact brain and brainstem, inferior view.
(F) Dry skull with mandible removed, inferolateral view.
A dedicated course for anatomy of oncology d J. P. CHINO et al. 855

Fig. 2. Example questions for multiple choice ‘‘boards-style’’ questions, segmenting exercises, and field design questions
for various modules of the Duke Oncoanatomy course.

four prosection stations. The large group is then divided into smaller for evaluation of their performance within the residency program.
groups of five to six attendees each. These small groups proceed to Pretests and posttests for each module were scored by one investiga-
rotate through each prosection station, for a 10- to 15-min informal tor (J.C.) at the same sitting to maximize scoring consistency.
discussion and exploration of the prosected cadaver, guided by the B. Aim #2: to assess knowledge retention. After the first two
anatomist who prepared the specimen. Station topics are site specific modules, the pretests and posttests for the latter modules were mod-
and vary with the module. For example, for the Base of Skull mod- ified to include review questions addressing material presented in
ule, stations included views of a dry skull, the cranial fossae from prior modules completed 1–3 months earlier. The format of these
a superior view, and an inferiolateral view of the jugular foramen questions was identical to that described under Aim #1.
(Fig. 1). Radiologic imaging is available at the stations via computer C. Aim #3: to assess the resident satisfaction with the course.
monitors to assist in the synthesis of the gross anatomy with the Anonymous web-based surveys were distributed to the residents
radiographs. For each session, the anatomists and the radiation at the time of the posttest for the skull base module, which occurred
oncology residents and attendings coordinate their presentations to eighth in the series of 11 modules for the academic year. Participants
define the key issues to be discussed. were asked to rate the oncoanatomy course as a whole in comparison
To assess the utility of this educational intervention, the following to other educational interventions in the Duke residency training
aims and assessment tools were defined. program. A scale of 1–10 was used, with 10 being superior to
A. Aim #1: To assess the immediate educational impact of the most interventions, 5 being equivalent to the average intervention,
modules. Short, 10–15 question tests were administered within 24 1 being inferior to most interventions. Participants were also asked
h before a module, and within 24 h after module completion. The to rate the educational effectiveness of each portion of the oncoanat-
pretest and posttest covered the same material, with small alterations omy module, differentiating between the clinical didactic compo-
to the question subject and answer selection. Questions included nent, the radiology review component, and the anatomy lab
‘‘boards-style’’ multiple choice questions, segmentation of radio- component. A 1–10 rating scale was used; 10 being highest educa-
graphic images of critical tissues, and radiation field design. tional utility, 5 being of moderate utility, and 1 being of no utility.
Multiple choice questions had one best answer each, and one
point was awarded for each correct answer. Unanswered questions
were scored as no points. Image segmentation and field design ques- Statistics
tions were graded with reference to a ‘‘standard’’ defined with input Paired sample analysis compared pretest versus posttest perfor-
from at least two radiation oncologists. A three-point scale was used, mance (aim #1), as well as pretest versus review question perfor-
and points were awarded for both completeness of coverage of the mance (aim #2) using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (11). Tests
subject, and exclusion of neighboring structures (Fig. 2). were paired by resident (e.g., posttest from resident 1 was compared
It was explicitly communicated to the residents that performance with pretest from resident 1). Tests that did not have a corresponding
on these tests would only be used for evaluation of the course, not pair were excluded from the analysis (e.g., if resident 2 completed
856 I. J. Radiation Oncology d Biology d Physics Volume 79, Number 3, 2011

a pretest but not a posttest for a given module, that pretest was 0.34). The differences were largest in the pretest board-style
excluded). All p values are given for two-tailed tests. All statistical questions (PGY-2 median 50% [IQR 34–81%] vs. upper
analyses were performed in SPSS v17.0 (Chicago, IL). level median 81% [IQR 50–100%], p = 0.04), with smaller
differences in the pretest segmentation and field design exer-
RESULTS cises (PGY-2 median 59% [IQR 28–73%] vs. upper level me-
dian 66.7% [IQR 47–92%], p = 0.15). Both higher level
Aim #1: to assess the immediate educational impact of the residents and lower residents showed improved performance
modules after the oncoanatomy modules, statistically significant for
Ninety pretests and posttests were evaluable from ten res- all comparisons except for boards style questions for the
idents from six completed modules. Of the residents, six were higher level residents (Fig. 4).
postgraduate year (PGY)-2, two were PGY-3, one was PGY-
4, and one was PGY-5. The median number of tests per res-
ident was 10 (interquartile range [IQR] 8–10). Thirty-nine Aim #2: to assess knowledge retention
paired pretests and posttests were evaluable, with a median Eight multiple choice review questions were introduced
of four test pairs per resident (IQR 4–4). The median pretest into the testing in the latter four modules; each of these ques-
score was 66% (IQR 53–82%) vs. a posttest median of 85% tions was identical to a question on a pretest for a prior mod-
(IQR 71–94%), p < 0.001 for difference by paired analysis ule. Individual resident performance on the review question
(Fig. 3). For the ‘‘boards style’’ multiple choice questions, was compared to their performance on the pretest between
the pretest median was 71% (IQR 41–100%) vs. the posttest 1 to 3 months prior. Forty-seven pretest and review question
median of 84% (71–100%), p < 0.001. For the image seg- pairs were evaluable. Thirty of the pairs were obtained 1
mentation and field design questions, the pretest median month after module completion, 10 pairs were 2 months after,
score was 62% (IQR 38–77%) vs. the posttest median of and 7 were 3 months after. Performance on review questions
78% (IQR 67–100%), p < 0.001). was improved compared with pretest performance; percent
Upper level residents (PGY 3-5; years 2–4 of radiation correct on all review questions was 86% vs. pretest percent
oncology training) performed better on pretests overall correct was 59%, p = 0.008 by paired analysis. There was
(median score for PGY-2 residents 59% [IQR 40–74%], vs. no difference between the performance on the review ques-
upper level median of 73% [IQR 58–86%], p = 0.03), but tions and the corresponding immediate posttest questions
not on posttests (median PGY-2 score 83.3% [IQR 69– (percent correct was 84% for postest, 86% for review,
92%], vs. upper level median 84.6% [IQR 73-100%], p = p = 1.0 for paired comparisons).
p<0.001 p<0.001 p<0.001

100

80
Test Performance (Percentile)

60

40

20

0
Pretests Posttests Pretests Posttests Pretests Posttests
(All Questions) (All Questions) (Boards Style) (Boards Style) (Segmentation (Segmentation
& Field Design) & Field Design)

Fig. 3. Boxplots of scores from pretest and posttests. The box outlines the upper and lower quartiles, the horizontal line
inside the box is the median, and the whiskers represent the range. Outliers are noted by points outside of the whiskers.
A dedicated course for anatomy of oncology d J. P. CHINO et al. 857

p < 0.001 p = 0.011 p < 0.001 p = 0.099 p < 0.001 p = 0.034

PGY 2 PGY 3-5 PGY 2 PGY 3-5 PGY 2 PGY 3-5


pre post pre post pre post pre post pre post pre post
100

80
Test Performance (Percentile)

60

40

20

0
All Questions Boards Style Segementation
& Field Design

Fig. 4. Boxplots of scores from pre- and post-module testing grouped by year of residency. The box outlines the upper and
lower quartiles, the horizontal line inside the box is the median, and the whiskers represent the range.

Though the number of evaluable tests at 3 months after inter- radiation oncologist, a detailed knowledge of the regional
vention were limited, performance remained significantly bet- anatomy and the patterns of spread of cancer are critical to
ter on review versus the matched pretest (1/7 correct in pretest, appropriately address both macroscopic and microscopic
5/7 correct in review 3 months after intervention, p = 0.046). extent of disease. For the surgeon, anatomy influences the
selection of dissection plane, resection extent, and either
Aim #3: to assess the resident satisfaction with the course biopsy or resection of lymph node drainage basins. For the
Ten anonymous web surveys were distributed at the time radiation oncologist, anatomy influences the sequence of
of the eighth module (base of skull), and all were returned treatment (preoperative vs. postoperative treatment), the
(response rate 100%). The results are collated in Fig. 5. selection of treatment modality (teletherapy, brachytherapy,
High resident satisfaction was seen in all module components intraoperative therapy, and particle therapy), and the design
with a median evaluation of 10 of 10 for each of the three of treatment volumes and doses.
components. The median evaluation for the whole course In addition, with increasing survivorship, particular atten-
was 9 of 10 (IQR 8–9). tion must be paid to the relationship of normal tissues within
treatment fields, and the potential morbidity of treatments
(12–14). In the case of local regional treatments such as sur-
DISCUSSION
gery and radiation therapy, the normal tissue often establishes
This study demonstrates that integrating the gross anatomy the limit to which the macroscopic and microscopic disease
lab into a coherent oncoanatomy course is a useful educa- can be treated.
tional intervention, as measured on objective tests. We also An elective oncologic-anatomy course for first-year medical
demonstrate that the knowledge gained during these inter- students was previously described by Hansen et al. at the Uni-
ventions is maintained for at least 3 months. versity of Rochester (15). Their course was designed to intro-
Oncology practice requires an in depth understanding of duce clinical relevance to medical students during their
anatomy, for the diagnosis and staging of disease via physi- training in gross anatomy. In some respects, the current study
cal, radiologic, and pathologic examinations, and for the is an inverted form of the Rochester format. We return residents
appropriate selection of therapies. For the surgical and in clinical oncology to the gross anatomy lab to reinforce the
858 I. J. Radiation Oncology d Biology d Physics Volume 79, Number 3, 2011

Highly More Effective


Effective Than Most
10 10 Educational
Component
Interventions

Resident Evaluations 8 8

6 6
Moderately As Effective as
Effective an Average
Component Educational
Intervention
4 4

2 2
Less Effective
Ineffective
Than Most
Component
Educational
Clinical Radiology Anatomy Overall Course Interventions

Lecture Review Lab Evaluation

Fig. 5. Participant survey results. The box outlines the upper and lower quartiles, the horizontal line inside the box is the
median, and the whiskers represent the range. Outliers are noted by points outside of the whiskers.

three-dimensional relationships learned 5–9 years previously, chytherapy planning (19, 20). The Radiation Therapy Oncol-
now particularly relevant to their postgraduate training. ogy Group has developed consensus contouring atlases in
A randomized trial of the integration of cadaver dissection anorectal, gynecologic, head-and-neck, prostate, and breast
into the obstetrics and gynecology residency program was cancer, with a goal to standardize volume delineation (21).
reported in 1995 (6). In this small trial, 13 first- and sec- The challenge facing residency programs, then, is how to
ond-year obstetrics and gynecology residents were randomly optimally train residents to accurately reproduce these vol-
assigned to 2- to 3-h dissection sessions with a female umes. We believe that integrating experiences in the cadaver
cadaver or the same amount of protected self-study time lab with didactic teaching methods will prove useful to this
with provided anatomical references. The dissection group goal, and is the subject of future research.
performed significantly better on posttests than the control We acknowledge that our analysis has several potential
group, with an improvement of 56.7% compared with shortcomings. First, the importance of the anatomy lab com-
a 20% improvement in controls (p < 0.001). ponent of this initiative is unclear as we have not performed
There have been several recent studies looking at optimal similar pretests and posttests for other didactic educational
methods of improving image segmentation and field design conferences. Nevertheless, comments and evaluations from
skills among residents in radiation oncology. A study from the residents suggest that the gross anatomy lab is of high
Memorial Sloan-Kettering demonstrated improved head utility. Second, the number of residents involved is modest.
and neck target delineation among 11 residents after a dedi- Even so, the findings were fairly similar across our residents.
cated seminar series in combination with a hands-on image Further, our study is a reasonable size when compared with
segmentation session (16). Investigators at Princess Margaret other studies of educational initiatives in oncology education.
Hospital conducted a small randomized trial of a single image Third, the follow-up remains relatively short in the evaluation
segmentation educational intervention in prostate and normal for knowledge retention at 3 months. That stated, there are
anatomy delineation in 31 participants (17). The participants few reports of resident educational interventions with any
receiving the image segmentation intervention became more evaluation of retention (22–25). Moreover, we intend to pur-
confident with their image segmentation skill. However, the sue longer follow-up of this course in the coming years.
control group and intervention group had similar improve- Finally, the three-point scale used in evaluation of segmenta-
ments in pretest vs. posttest scoring. Tai et al. found a signif- tion and field design is coarse. A more refined quantitative
icant improvement in target delineation of the cervical method of segmentation analysis is being developed for
esophagus after specific training in an uncontrolled cohort future research to address this.
of 12 radiation oncologists (18). They were also able to
show that the uniformity achieved by training was main-
CONCLUSION
tained 1–2 months after intervention.
The development of consensus atlases and protocols has An integrated oncoanatomy course is a useful educational
been shown to improve consistency in image segmentation intervention based on objective testing, sustained knowledge
in the setting of prostate bed treatment and gynecologic bra- retention, and high attendee satisfaction.
A dedicated course for anatomy of oncology d J. P. CHINO et al. 859

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