STATE-OF-THE-ART IN PROTON THERAPY TECHNIQUES

The paper reviews the use of proton beams in radiation therapy. The organizational, economic, and technological limitations to proton therapy in the period 1954-1990 and the new techniques proposed in the 1980s are considered. The conclusion is that constructing centers for proton therapy using the new techniques at hospitals could make them more competitive than other radiation treatment methods. The main clinical, technological, economic, and social demands on proton therapy facilities built around dedicated medical accelerators and on the other principal technical ideas used in them are discussed.