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Proton Therapy Program

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Evolution of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital

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Abstract

An important contribution to this discipline is the book Proton and Charged Particle Radiotherapy written and edited by Thomas Delaney and Hanne Kooy (2008) (Fig. 6.1) [4]. This book is a comprehensive and current presentation of the history, present status, and probable future of particle beam therapy. DeLaney and Kooy’s book is one of the first books in this field and clearly constitutes an important contribution to the understanding of the rationale, details of planning, and delivery of radiation dose by proton beams combined with substantial data on treatment outcomes.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For superficial lesions, electron beams provide similar benefits, except that there is a substantially wider penumbra and much less steep decrease in distal fall off.

  2. 2.

    The γ50 is a measure of the slope of the dose–response curve at the 50% point and is the percent point increment in response probability for a 1% increase in dose.

  3. 3.

    These abbreviations represent the following: CT for computerized tomography; MRI for magnetic resonance imaging; PET for positive emission tomography; US for ultrasound imaging; MRS for magnetic resonance spectroscopy; and PET-CT for an integrated CT and PET imaging system.

  4. 4.

    A Koehler. Personal Communication Nov 16, 2007, by phone.

  5. 5.

    No records of the meeting have been located. The listed attendees are according to my recollection.

  6. 6.

    Cambridge Electron Accelerator. Robinson made preliminary plans for using the CEA for patient treatments.

  7. 7.

    The PTV is the planning treatment volume or the volume to receive the planned dose; this is larger than the CTV to ensure that all of the CTV, in fact, receives the intended dose despite patient movement and setup errors.

  8. 8.

    A distinct possibility is that the pain was secondary to injury to the sciatic nerve by the radiation and surgery.

  9. 9.

    The title for that position was changed later to president of the hospital.

  10. 10.

    These specifications were provided by Jay Flanz and Steve Bradley.

  11. 11.

    Art Boyer was our first Ph.D. physicist; he started in September 1971.

  12. 12.

    Head Radiation Physics, University of California, San Francisco.

  13. 13.

    Head Radiation Physics, University of Massachusetts, Worcester.

  14. 14.

    Head Radiation Physics, Southwestern University Medical School, Dallas, TX, and then recently formed Stillwater, Inc. to build small cyclotrons that are to be installed on individual gantries.

  15. 15.

    Head Proton Physics, MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center, Houston, TX.

  16. 16.

    Staff at Stillwater Corp., Cambridge, MA.

  17. 17.

    Staff, Proton Physics, MD Anderson Proton Therapy Center, Houston, TX.

  18. 18.

    Stillwater Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Herman D. Suit & Jay S. Loeffler

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  1. Herman D. Suit
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Correspondence to Herman D. Suit .

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Suit, H.D., Loeffler, J.S. (2011). Proton Therapy Program. In: Evolution of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6744-2_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6744-2_6

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