Public Summary Abdul Wahab Sharfo

The Dutch healthcare system is under growing pressure. An aging population, increasing treatment complexity, and a shortage of medical staƯ are creating an urgent need for smarter, more eƯicient clinical workflows. My thesis directly tackled this challenge by reimagining how HDR-brachytherapy for prostate cancer can be delivered — making it more accurate, more eƯicient, and more sustainable for the future of cancer care. 

Conducted within the Qualified Medical Engineer (QME) program at the Technical University of Eindhoven and in collaboration with the radiotherapy department at the Erasmus MC, my project bridged engineering innovation and clinical practice. The goal: to optimize the HDR-brachytherapy workflow for both primary and salvage prostate cancer treatments through data-driven design and technological advancement. 

HDR-brachytherapy is a powerful but complex treatment that demands precision and coordination. Traditionally, it relies on ultrasound- and CT-guided imaging, which limits soft-tissue visibility and can constrain workflow eƯiciency. My project explored how MRIguided brachytherapy can overcome these barriers — oƯering superior accuracy, consistency, and safety.

One of the most significant milestones was the introduction of a hybrid CT/MRI-based workflow developed as part of the study. This new workflow validated the accuracy of MRI for localizing needle positions, proving that MRI-only workflows are feasible. This step laid the foundation for future clinical implementation of fully MRI-guided HDRbrachytherapy, a major leap toward image-based precision oncology. 

To quantify potential improvements, I performed detailed workflow analysis to identify bottlenecks and ineƯiciencies. This analysis enabled evidence-based improvements that can streamline the HDR-brachytherapy process, reduce staƯ workload, and increase patient throughput—key benefits in the context of national healthcare challenges.

Beyond the technical achievements, the project showed that innovation in healthcare is not just about new technology — it’s about enabling people to deliver better care, faster, and with greater confidence. 

This thesis deserves the Best Thesis Award because it exemplifies what healthcare innovation should be: relevant, evidence-based, and impactful. It translates complex engineering principles into tangible clinical value, addressing both immediate operational challenges and the long-term sustainability of cancer care in the Netherlands.