title: Cobalt, linac, or other: what is the best solution for radiation therapy in developing countries?
abstract: The international growth of cancer and lack of available treatment is en route to become a global crisis. With >60% of cancer patients needing radiation therapy at some point during their treatment course, the lack of available facilities and treatment programs worldwide is extremely problematic. The number of deaths from treatable cancers is projected to increase to 11.5 million deaths in 2030 because the international population is aging and growing. In this review, we present how best to answer the need for radiation therapy facilities from a technical standpoint. Specifically, we examine whether cobalt teletherapy machines or megavoltage linear accelerator machines are best equipped to handle the multitudes in need of radiation therapy treatment in the developing world.
authors.affiliation: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Electronic address: bpage@wakehealth.edu.
authors.forename: Brandi R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Page
authors.affiliation: Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors.forename: Alana D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: Tom Baker Cancer Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
authors.forename: Derek W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Overlook Medical Center, Summit, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Adam C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: May
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdel-Wahab
authors.affiliation: Gamma West Cancer Services, Layton, Utah; Radiating Hope, Midvale, Utah (www.radiatinghope.org).
authors.forename: Brandon J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Shilpen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
mesh_terms: D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017743:Equipment Reuse / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005544:Forecasting; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010315:Particle Accelerators / Q000592:standards / Q000600:supply & distribution; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation
chemical_list: D003037:Cobalt Radioisotopes