title: Current status and new developments in ion therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Worldwide, encouraging clinical results of ion radiotherapy led to planning and construction of several new treatment facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main technical and biological aspects of ion therapy are reviewed. The current status and future developments are discussed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The use of ions in radiotherapy results in highly conformal dose distributions. The degree of conformality is higher for active than for passive beam delivery techniques. Applying ion therapy, uncertainties in the range and the biologically effective dose have to be considered. For heavy ions, the clinical value of the increased biological efficiency has to be investigated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the principal methods for clinical application of ion therapy are available, the development must be continued to explore its full potential.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Medizinische Physik in der Strahlentherapie (E040), Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. c.karger@dkfz.de
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Karger
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jäkel
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D063193:Heavy Ion Radiotherapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D061766:Proton Therapy; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D011522:Protons
chemical_list: D011522:Protons