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A short history of Radiotherapy - Part 1: From the discovery of X-rays and Radium to the era of megavoltage beams (1895-1960)
Radiotherapy was born in 1896, a few weeks after the discovery of X-rays. Its action against cancers was almost immediately investigated. Progress slowly arose from the production of more penetrating beams and better understanding of biological actions, Radiation physics, radiation biology and clinical research steps which allowed X-rays, gamma-rays and a few other beams to promote radiotherapy as one of the best tools to cure cancers will be summarized from the end of the nineteenth century to nowadays.
Author:Jean-Claude Horiot
Date of publication:Read more01 October 2025
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A short history of Radiotherapy - Part 2: The megavoltage era. From the early sixties until now.
Megavoltage radiotherapy with Co60 and linear accelerators, allowing to deliver tumoricidal dose to the deepest tumors while to better spare normal tissues, was going to radically modify the treatment choices, used alone or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy.
Author:Jean-Claude Horiot
Date of publication:Read more01 October 2025
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The European contribution to the development of proton therapy
Globally, around 350,000 people have been treated with proton therapy since the 1960s. It is a form of radiation therapy that is uniquely suited to treat hard-to-reach tumours located near sensitive organs such as the brain or the spinal cord.
Author:Simon Crompton
Date of publication:Read more03 June 2024
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Leksell Gamma Knife: the invention of radiosurgery
Stereotactic radiosurgery – using focused beams of radiation to treat tumours and other abnormalities – was the brainchild of Swedish neurosurgeon, Lars Leksell. It has become widely deployed to treat brain metastases with a machine that bears his name – the Leksell Gamma Knife.
Author:Anna Wagstaff
Date of publication:Read more10 July 2022
Coming soon
- Progress in RT techniques / IORT and other indications