Oncology: Radiation Oncologist’s View

Abstract

Radiation Oncology is the branch of medical science that deals with the use of ionising radiation, such as photons, X-rays or particulate radiation for the treatment of cancers. This branch of medicine is a fairly young branch, born just over a hundred years ago after the discovery of X-rays in 1895 and radioactivity in 1896. Since then, it has made rapid progress, with the development of protocols of multidisciplinary use of methods. Radiation has been combined with surgery, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunocytic and novel biomolecules. With the development of linear accelerators and computers and with increased digitalisation, new methods of radiation delivery and quality control have been developed. The radiation oncologist now can accurately delineate his target volume that would include the gross tumour, areas of potential microscopic disease and potential areas of spread in adjoining areas, which precisely treat that volume to the highest dose possible in the shortest time possible and even take into account movement of that target due to physiological processes or tumour shrinkage. Radiation oncology has seen its development from the times of single doses and superficial X-rays to the development of cobalt therapy machines, linear accelerators and further on to the development of image guide radiation, proton beam radiation and MR-guided brachytherapy.