Radiation oncology still neglects stray radiation

Facing up to friendly fire: why radiation oncology still neglects stray radiation Physics World, 28 Feb 2020 Whole-body exposure to stray radiation can now be calculated accurately and efficiently for patients undergoing radiotherapy. Researchers in the US and Germany modified a treatment planning system (TPS) – the software used to predict patient dose distribution – to include unwanted doses from scattered and leaked radiation. The additional calculation, which adds an average of 7% to the computation time required for a standard treatment plan, could lead to better radiation treatments that avoid radiogenic secondary cancers and other side effects later in life. This is especially important for survivors of childhood cancer (Med. Phys. 10.1002/mp.14018)………

as post-treatment lifespans grow longer, late side effects of radiotherapy – such as damage to the heart, fertility issues and secondary cancers – are becoming increasingly prevalent. These side effects can be caused by radiation that is delivered to non-target tissue outside of the main therapeutic beam, much of which is not modelled by clinical TPSs.

To address this shortcoming and model the stray-radiation dose for the whole body, Lydia Wilson at Louisiana State University (LSU) and colleagues (also from LMU Munich, PTB and BsF) set out to modify the research TPS CERR (Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research)…………

“The biggest challenge to commercialization has been the continuation of a historical focus on short-term outcomes,” says Newhauser. “As disease-specific survival rates gradually continue to increase, patient, clinicians and vendors will eventually become more interested in treatment-planning features that improve long-term outcomes. We could begin to see basic capabilities appear in commercial systems in two to three years.” https://physicsworld.com/a/facing-up-to-friendly-fire-why-radiation-oncology-still-neglects-stray-radiation/

March 2, 2020 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News

No comments yet.

1.This month.

The Road to War brings a sharp focus to why it is not in Australia’s best interest to be dragged into a war with China which will almost inevitably go nuclear very quickly. The filmmaker has interviewed some of Australia’s senior foreign policy analysts who have vast experience behind them in analysing what really is going on here as the United States rattles its sabres with China. And sets us up to be its proxy, like the poor Ukranians have been fed into the Meatgrinder. So America can remain the Top Dog. The Road to War reveals how the United States through its spy base at Pine Gap and by stationing six nuclear capable B52 bombers in the Top End (without permission from the traditional owners) is making Australia a prime nuclear target if the current war of words suddenly melts down into full scale war.

The Road to War shows the implicit connection between Carbon emissions (the US military uses a whopping 70% of America’s annual petroleum to move its armies and vast War Machine around the globe to its 800+ military bases..but under a loophole wangled at Kyoto, the US military does not have to report its C02 annual emissions). The Road to War starts screening at selected cities and regional centres in March. See the trailer end for details.

Antinuclear

Australian news, and some related international items