Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Evolution and Progress in the Application of Radiation in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy


Affiliations
1 Department of Urology, Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar 751 001, India
2 Radiochemistry and Isotope Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, 1006, Sunflower, Neelkanth Gardens, Govandi-E, Mumbai 400 088, India
 

Cancer is a ubiquitous health problem globally caused by poor food quality, environmental pollution, genetic factors, etc. Despite the manifold presumptive theories put forth for its causation, there is an extreme paucity of knowledge as regards the actual etiology of cancer, as well as any preventive or prophylactic therapy. The treatment options available include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy (both internal and external). There have been technical and technological advancements in the fields of 'cancer surgery' and 'cancer chemotherapy', and radiotherapy in oncology is not too far behind. X-rays (from linear accelerators LINACs) and gamma rays (e.g. in Bhabhatron) are commonly used for radiation treatment of various types of cancers. New developments include proton beam therapy (PBT) and heavy ion beam therapy (IBT) (e.g. C+6 ion). These new developments of PBT and IBT offer significant advantages to treat paediatric patients, and to radiate deep-seated and radio-resistant tumours. This article gives an overview of the various radiation therapies used worldwide, cost comparison of setting up these facilities, operational and treatment costs and advantages, limitations as well as the present status of different charged particle therapy facilities available worldwide.

Keywords

Accelerators, Cancer, Diagnosis, Oncology, Radiation Therapy.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • CERN Courier, July/August 2013, 53(6).

  • Tommasino, F., Scifoni, E. and Durante, M., New ions for therapy. Int. J. Part. Ther., 2015; doi:10.14338/IJPT-15-00027.1.

  • Athiyaman, M., Athiyaman, H., Neelakandan, Rajasekaran, Kumar, H. S. and Sharma, A., A physicist description of indigenous tele-cobalt machine Bhabhatron-II TAW. Global J. Sci. Front. Res., 2015, 15, 105–110.

  • Jayarajan, K., Kar, D. C., Sahu, R. and Singh, M., Bhabhatron: An Indigenous Telecobalt Machine for Cancer Treatment, BARC Founder’s Day Special Issue, No. 297, October 2008, pp. 27–34; www.barc.ernet.in/publications/nl/2008/20081003.pdf

  • Ravichandran, R., Has the time come for doing away with cobalt-60 teletherapy for cancer treatments. J. Med. Phys., 2009, 34, 63–65.

  • Reddy, K. S., Choice of a teletherapy unit: Cobalt-60 unit vs LINAC, In 50 years of Cancer Control in India, Government of India Document, Directorate General of Health Services, 2008, pp. 79–87.

  • Singh, G. S. and Sehgal, V., Indigenous development of integrated medical LINAC system for cancer therapy. Sci. Cult., 2012, 78, 404–410.

  • Burnet, N. G., Taylor, R. E., Kirkby, K. J., Thorp, N., Mackay, R. I. and McKenna, G., Is spending on proton beam therapy for cancer going too far, too fast? BMJ, 2012, 344, e2488, 2012; doi:10.1136/bmj.3e2488, http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2488/rr/581410.

  • Epstein, K., Is spending on proton beam therapy for cancer going too far, too fast? BMJ, 2012, 344, 20–21.

  • MacDougall, R. H., Orr, J. A., Kerr, G. R. and Duncan, W., Fast neutron treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head neck: final report of the Edinburgh randomised trial. BMJ, 1990, 301, 1241–1242.

  • Kao, W. H., Shen, Y. L. and Hong, J. H., What are the potential benefits of using proton therapy in Taiwanese cancer patients?. Biomed. J., 2015, 38, 391–398.

  • Emanuel, E. J. and Pearson, S. D., It costs more, but is it worth more? The New York Times, 3 January 2012.

  • Reiazi, R., Norozi, A. and Etedadialiabadi, M., A literature survey on cost-effectiveness of proton beam therapy in the management of breast cancer patients. Iran. J. Cancer Prev., 2015, 8, e4373.

  • Mali, S. B., Proton therapy for head neck cancer. Oral Oncol., 2015, 51, e10-e12.

  • Holliday, E. B. and Frank, S. J., Proton radiation therapy for head and neck cancer: a review of the clinical experience to date. Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys., 2014, 89, 292–302.

  • Miller, R. C., Lodge, M., Murad, M. H. and Jones, B., Controversies in clinical trials in proton radiotherapy: the present and the future. Semin. Radiat. Oncol., 2013, 23, 127–133.

  • Doyen, J., Falk, A.T., Floquet, V., Herault, J. and Hannoun-Levi, J.-M., Proton beams in cancer treatments: clinical outcomes and dosimetric comparisons with photon therapy. Cancer Treat. Rev., 2016, 43, 104–112.

  • Vega, R. B. M. et al., Cost effectiveness of proton therapy compared with photon therapy in the management of pediatric medulloblastoma. Cancer, 2013, 119, 4299–4307.

  • Schiller, K. C., Habl, G. and Comb, S. E., Protons, photons, and the prostate – is there emerging evidence in the ongoing discussion on particle therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer? Front. Oncol., 2016, 6; doi:10.3389/fonc.2016.00008.

  • Syrigos, K. N., Karachalios, D., Karapanagiotou, E. M., Nutting, C. M., Manolopoulos, L. and Harrington, K. J., Head and neck cancer in the elderly: an overview on the treatment modalities. Cancer Treat. Rev., 2009, 35, 237–245.

  • Amaldi, U., Nuclear physics applications in diagnostics and cancer therapy. Nucl. Phys., 2005, A751, 409c–428c.

  • Degiovanni, A. and Amaldi, U., History of hadron therapy accelerators. Phys. Med., 2015, 31, 322–332.

  • Amaldi, U. R. et al., Accelerators for hadron therapy: From lawrence cyclotrons to LINACs. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., 2010, A620, 563–577.

  • Kamada, T. et al., Carbon ion radiotherapy in Japan: an assessment of 20 years of clinical experience. Lancet Oncol., 2015, 16, E93–100.

  • Mizoe, J. et al., Results of carbon ion radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Radiother. Oncol., 2012, 103, 32–37.

  • Schulz-Errtner, D. and Tsujii, H., Particle radiation therapy using proton and heavier ion beams. J. Clin. Oncol., 2007, 25, 953–964.

  • Bokor, J. and Pavlovič, M., An ion-optical design study of a carbonion rotating gantry with a superconducting final bending magnet. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., 2016, A812, 122–133.

  • Heejoong, Y. et al., Design of the KHIMA synchrotron. J. Korean Phys. Soc., 2015, 67, 1364–1367.

  • Rossi, S., The National Centre for Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO): status and perspectives. Phys. Med., 2015, 31, 333–351.

  • Peeters, A. et al., How costly is particle therapy? Cost analysis of external beam radiotherapy with carbon-ions, protons and photons. Radiother. Oncol., 2010, 95, 45–53.

  • Banerjee, S., Mahantshetty, U. and Shrivastava, S., Brachytherapy in India – a long road ahead. J. Contemp. Brachyther., 2014, 6, 331–335.

  • Al Feghali, K. A. and Elshaikh, M. A., Why brachytherapy boost is the treatment of choice for most women with locally advanced cervical carcinoma? Brachytherapy, 2016, 15, 191–199.

  • Christensen, M. H. and Petersen, L. J., Radionuclide treatment of painful bone metastases in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review. Cancer Treat. Rev., 2012, 38, 164–171.

  • Zaorsky, N. G. et al., High dose rate brachytherapy boost for prostate cancer: a systematic review. Cancer Treat. Rev., 2014, 40, 414–425.

  • Ledingham, K. W. D., Bolton, P. R., Shikazono, N. and Charlie Ma, C. M., Towards laser driven hadron cancer radiotherapy: a review of progress. Appl. Sci., 2014, 4, 402–443.

  • Sundar, S., Symonds, R. P. and Deehan, C., Radiotherapy to patients with artificial cardiac pacemakers. Cancer Treat. Rev., 2005, 31, 474–486.

  • Hannoun-Levi, J. M., Mazeron, J. J., Marsiglia, H. and Gerard, J. P., Partial breast irradiation: revolution or evolution? Cancer Treat. Rev., 2004, 30, 599–607.

  • AERB, Annual Report 2011–12, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Government of India, Mumbai, 2012.

  • Ramaiah, V. K. and Bhasker, S., Is the fast-paced technological advancement in radiation treatment equipment good for Indian scenario? J. Cancer Policy, 2015, 4, 26–30.

  • De Ruysscher, D., Lodge, M. M., Jones, B., Brada, M., Munro, A., Jefferson, T. and Pijls-Johannesma, M., Charged particles in radiotherapy: a 5-year update of a systematic review. Radiother. Oncol., 2012, 103, 5–7.

  • Zietman, A., Goitein, M. and Teppe, J. E., Technology evolution: is it survival of the fittest? J. Clin. Oncol., 2010, 28, 4275–4279.

  • Mitin, T. and Zietman, A. L., Promise and pitfalls of heavyparticle therapy. J. Clin. Oncol., 2014, 32, 2855–2863.

  • Uhl, M., Herfarth, K. and Debus, J., Comparing the use of protons and carbon ions for treatment. Cancer J., 2014, 20, 433–439.

  • Jermann, M., Particle therapy statistics in 2014. Int. J. Part. Ther., 2015, 2, 50–54.

  • Sheenan, M. et al. Position statement on ethics, equipoise, and research on charged particle radiation therapy. J. Med. Ethics, 2013, 17, doi:10.1136/medethics-2012-101290.


Abstract Views: 412

PDF Views: 113




  • Evolution and Progress in the Application of Radiation in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Abstract Views: 412  |  PDF Views: 113

Authors

Gaurav Aggarwal
Department of Urology, Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar 751 001, India
Suresh Kumar Aggarwal
Radiochemistry and Isotope Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, 1006, Sunflower, Neelkanth Gardens, Govandi-E, Mumbai 400 088, India

Abstract


Cancer is a ubiquitous health problem globally caused by poor food quality, environmental pollution, genetic factors, etc. Despite the manifold presumptive theories put forth for its causation, there is an extreme paucity of knowledge as regards the actual etiology of cancer, as well as any preventive or prophylactic therapy. The treatment options available include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy (both internal and external). There have been technical and technological advancements in the fields of 'cancer surgery' and 'cancer chemotherapy', and radiotherapy in oncology is not too far behind. X-rays (from linear accelerators LINACs) and gamma rays (e.g. in Bhabhatron) are commonly used for radiation treatment of various types of cancers. New developments include proton beam therapy (PBT) and heavy ion beam therapy (IBT) (e.g. C+6 ion). These new developments of PBT and IBT offer significant advantages to treat paediatric patients, and to radiate deep-seated and radio-resistant tumours. This article gives an overview of the various radiation therapies used worldwide, cost comparison of setting up these facilities, operational and treatment costs and advantages, limitations as well as the present status of different charged particle therapy facilities available worldwide.

Keywords


Accelerators, Cancer, Diagnosis, Oncology, Radiation Therapy.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi03%2F413-421