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Particle therapy and treatment of cancer.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Halperin, EC
Published in: Lancet Oncol
August 2006

The desire of radiation oncologists and medical physicists to maximise the radiation dose to the tumour while minimising that to healthy tissues has led to attempts to improve the dose distributions and biological effects achievable with photons and electrons. Protons, neutrons, pions, boron-neutron capture therapy, and charged-nuclei therapy (with argon, carbon, helium [alpha particles], neon, nitrogen, and silicon) have been assessed for their physical, biological, and clinical effects. In the 90 years since protons and neutrons were discovered, investigations of particle therapy for cancer have helped to elucidate many fundamental radiobiological ideas, such as linear energy transfer, relative biological effectiveness, oxygen effect, and oxygen enhancement. Particle therapy has contributed to our understanding of medical ethics when neutron therapy became intertwined with the debate over standards of informed consent in radiation experiments in humans during the cold war era. Particle teletherapy and brachytherapy continue to show promise in some clinical situations. In the future, the insights of molecular biology might clarify the ideal particles for clinical situations.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Lancet Oncol

DOI

ISSN

1470-2045

Publication Date

August 2006

Volume

7

Issue

8

Start / End Page

676 / 685

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Radiotherapy
  • Proton Therapy
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neutrons
  • Neoplasms
  • Humans
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 19th Century
  • Brachytherapy
  • 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Halperin, E. C. (2006). Particle therapy and treatment of cancer. Lancet Oncol, 7(8), 676–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(06)70795-1
Halperin, Edward C. “Particle therapy and treatment of cancer.Lancet Oncol 7, no. 8 (August 2006): 676–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(06)70795-1.
Halperin EC. Particle therapy and treatment of cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2006 Aug;7(8):676–85.
Halperin, Edward C. “Particle therapy and treatment of cancer.Lancet Oncol, vol. 7, no. 8, Aug. 2006, pp. 676–85. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(06)70795-1.
Halperin EC. Particle therapy and treatment of cancer. Lancet Oncol. 2006 Aug;7(8):676–685.
Journal cover image

Published In

Lancet Oncol

DOI

ISSN

1470-2045

Publication Date

August 2006

Volume

7

Issue

8

Start / End Page

676 / 685

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Radiotherapy
  • Proton Therapy
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neutrons
  • Neoplasms
  • Humans
  • History, 20th Century
  • History, 19th Century
  • Brachytherapy
  • 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis