Radiotherapy Techniques in Current Use in Sweden

Abstract

A systematic assessment of radiotherapy for cancer was conducted by The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU) in 2001. The assessment included a review of radiotherapy techniques in current use in Sweden. The following conclusions were drawn: <list id="l1" type="5"> <item>Radiotherapy demands adequate knowledge of diagnostic methods, anatomy, cancer biology and of the physical and biological properties of ionizing radiation. Well-functioning teamwork on the part of the oncologist, medical physicist and oncology nurse is important.</item><item>Radiotherapy has a high degree of technical sophistication, including the use of computers, which necessitates expert technical support.</item><item>Technical development is rapid, and since the previous report, multileaf collimators and electronic portal imaging have been introduced in the clinical routine.</item><item>The use of brachytherapy for treatment of non-gynaecological malignancies is rapidly increasing.</item><item>The need for quality assurance in all steps of the radiotherapy procedure is stressed.</item></list> A critical review of the literature on intraoperative radiotherapy is also included as an Appendix.