The Belgian SocieTy for Radiotherapy & Oncology (BeSTRO)
The BeSTRO is the scientific organisation of radiation oncology in Belgium. Membership is open for radiation oncologists, radiation oncologists in training, radiation physicists, radiobiologists, biomedici and radiation therapists. The BeSTRO is a non-profit organisation in agreement with Belgian law.
The current board (2022 – 2023) is composed of the following members:
- President: Selma Ben Mustapha;
- President-elect: Paul Meijnders;
- Secretary: Jean-François Daisne;
- Treasurer: Benedikt Engels;
- Counsellors: Partick Berkovic, Xavier Geets, Emilie Dubaere;
- Representative of the junior members: Thomas Descamps;
- The board is routinely joined by a selection of observors and invited counsellors.
Website: www.bestro.be
Verbond der Belgische Beroepsverenigingen van geneesheren-Specialisten / Groupement des unions professionnelles Belges de médecins Spécialistes (VBS/GBS)
The VBS/GBS is the alliance of unions of all medical specialists. The professional union of the radiation oncologists is called the Belgian Association for Radiation Oncology (BARO). BARO is represented by the same board as BeSTRO and both organisations hold joint board meetings.
Their main task is the defence of the role of radiation oncology and of radiation oncologists in the oncological world, as it is determined by European, federal or regional law. This includes reimbursement issues. The VBS/GBS subgroup for radiation oncology collaborates closely with the BeSTRO and shares the same board members and president.
Website: www.vbs-gbs.org
College van geneesheren voor de centra voor radiotherapie / Collège de médecins pour les centres de radiothérapie
This is a multidisciplinary group taking initiatives to insure the quality of radiation oncology in Belgium. It was created by the federal public service of health and its main task is the evaluation and improvement of the quality of radiation oncology treatment in Belgium through an external evaluation of all domains in radiation oncology. An important activity of this organisation are the clinical audits of radiation oncology centres in Belgium. The secretarial office can be reached through gill.vandervoorde@gza.be.
Belgian Hospital Physicists Association (BHPA)
The BHPA is a non-profit organisation, recognised as a professional union that gathers the medical physicists from Belgium. Its main purpose is to group, share and improve the knowledge of the specific field of medical physics. They represent physicists from the main three medical physics departments: radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology. This organisation represents around 400 members.
Website: www.bhpa.eu
Vereniging voor Verpleegkundigen in Radiotherapie en Oncologie (VVRO)
The VVRO is an organisation that aims to contribute to qualitative care for cancer patients through connecting nurses involved in cancer care with their colleagues and other healthcare professionals (in the Flemish region). They aim to support the nurses in during their professional career by offering additional education, representing the nurses in national organisations, maintaining contact with other professionals and commercial partners, etc.
Website: vvro.be/nl
Association Francophone des Infirmiers et Technologues Exerçant en Radiothérapie Belge (AFITER)
AFITER is the organisation that represents the nurses and RTT’s that work in radiation oncology for the French-speaking community of Belgium. Promotion of the profession is the second main aim of the organisation. There is an important emphasis on the patients and quality of care in the constantly changing landscape of modern radiation oncology, as well as offering the possibility for the exchange of knowledge and experience between RTT’s (both Belgian and foreign).
Website: www.afiter.be
The Belgian association of quality managers in radiotherapy (QMRT.be)
QMRT.be is the union for all quality managers employed by the Belgian radiotherapy departments. They play an important role in the clinical audits performed in radiation oncology departments in Belgium. For example, they have developed the B-QUATRO (adapted from QUATRO to better suite the Belgian setting) in 2017, which is the main document used to carry out the comprehensive clinical audits in Belgium.
