title: Anniversary paper: A sampling of novel technologies and the role of medical physicists in radiation oncology.
abstract: Physicists have and continue to play a major role in the creation and introduction of novel technology into medical care. This review covers some of the highlights of contributions of medical physicists to the field of radiation oncology during the history of the AAPM. While not comprehensive, the broad scope of developments and their impact hints at the importance of the medical physicist in advancing the field in the past, present, and future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balter
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Balter
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D004867:Equipment Design; D006283:Health Physics / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D011874:Radiometry; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed