[Results of radiotherapy in the year of the Röntgen centenary].
In 1996, the three leading radiation oncology periodicals (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys.--USA, Radiother. Oncol.--Europe, and Strahlenther. Onkol.--Germany) published 681 papers. Among the different topics, the clinical subjects accounted for almost half (46%) of the total number of publications, followed by radiation physics/techniques (18%) and radiation biology (17%). The 13% of editorials/review articles reflects a considerable endeavor towards integration; the contribution of papers relating to professional organization amounted to 2%. The fact that 1996 was the centennial year of the discovery of the Röntgen rays explains the reasonable proportion (4%) of historical reviews. Within the special topics, prostatic cancer and breast cancer were the two most frequent issues. Dose escalation was the most important tool applied to improve the results of the radiation therapy of tumors with unfavorable prognostic signs or radioresistance. The increase in the applied dose was made possible by a decrease in the planning target volume (PTV), 3D forward and inverse radiation treatment planning, a combination of tomographic (CT/MRI/US) diagnostic methods (image registration/fusion), optimizing algorithms, computer-controlled delivery of radiation dose and electronic portal imaging with in vivo dosimetry. In contrast, the trends in the radiotherapy of tumors with favorable long-term survival (e.g. Hodgkin's disease and seminoma) include a decreased dose and PTV reduction to diminish the late, radiation-related morbidity. Fractionation has remained the only tool of radiobiology routinely used in the everyday clinical practice. A comparison of the results and achievements in the special fields reveals that radiation physics/techniques clearly outstrip clinical subjects and especially radiation biology, as they allow direct and instant exploitation of the advantages offered by computers. It is highly probable, however, that, subsequent to a wider use of computers in clinical subjects and radiation biology, this situation will change.
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Sugárterápiás Osztály, Országos Onkológiai Intézet Budapest.
D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009613:Nobel Prize; D010825:Physics / Q000266:history; D011871:Radiology / Q000266:history*; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000266:history*
Sugárterápiás eredmények a Röntgen-centenárium évében.