When was radiotherapy developed

The radiation can be given directly to the cancer or to the nearby tissues after the cancer has been removed. Chemical modifiers or radiosensitizers are substances that make cancer more sensitive to radiation.

The goal of research into these types of substances is to develop agents that will make the tumor more sensitive without affecting normal tissues. Researchers are also looking for substances that may help protect normal cells from radiation. The American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team. Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing.

American Society of Clinical Oncology. Accessed at www. Timeline: Milestones in Cancer Treatment. Two Hundred Years of Cancer Research. N Engl J Med. Hajdu SI. Hajdu SI, Darvishian F. Hajdu SI, Vadmal M. American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material.

In a survey to discover the situation of radiotherapy in the region in , social—economic disparities in the distribution of facilities and equipment were evident, with a very small number of large and sophisticated radiation therapy centres in a few developed geographical areas in comparison to a high number of small centres in less developed regions [ 25 ]. In this review article, we will present, as examples, the historical development of radiation oncology, and information regarding professional facilities and equipment in selected Latin American LATAM countries.

The development of radiotherapy in Latin America was made possible thanks to governmental and private initiatives. The density of radiotherapy machines by population has been low, but it is increasing in all LATAM countries; however, there is a trend to centralise radiotherapy services to great urban populations. The history of radiotherapy in Uruguay has been recently described in [ 2 ]. In , the first high kilovoltage radiotherapy was given by Dr Arnold Campbell.

In , Dr Armando Aguinaga began using gynecological radiotherapy. In addition, in the Radium Institute was founded in Minas Gerais, and in , treatments with kilovoltage radiotherapy began.

In , the Radium and Radiology Institute was inaugurated in Per nambuco, in the Cancer Hospital was founded, and in Telecobalt-therapy was offered in the Hospital das Clinicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco.

In , the Cancer and Radiotherapy Institute, A. Camargo, was founded by Prof Antonio Prudente. In , the first cobalt machine in the National Cancer Institute was installed, and in the first linear accelerator was installed at the Oswaldo Cruz Hospital. Currently, Brazilian radiotherapy is one of the most advanced in Latin America, offering high-energy proton radiotherapy, with more than linear accelerators machines, more than 60 cobalt machines and more than HDR brachytherapy machines, distributed all over the country and with the major scientific production in this field in Latin America [ 16 ].

Figure 1. Key events in the development of radiotherapy in Latin America. Table 1. In , the Institute of Radium was inaugurated Figure 2. In , the first cobalt machine was implemented, and up to , three public hospitals and two private centres obtained cobalt machines.

Some private centres initiated offering brachytherapy since Since , dual linear accelerators were implemented at the Catholic University and in private centres. In , medium dose rate of brachytherapy was given at Hospital Valdivia. In , high-dose rate brachytherapy and Gamma knife was implemented in private centres.

One of the best characteristics was the decentralised distribution of radiotherapy facilities; there are 23 radiotherapy facilities with 40 linear accelerators and nine brachytherapy machines, among other RT machines. Figure 2. Radiotherapy in Chile. Orthovoltage radiation therapy was one of the first treatments in cancer a given at the Radium Institute b.

Lopez Perez Foundation in c. Radiotherapy in Colombia, as a discipline, was influenced by the French and American schools. In , the first x-ray machine was implemented.

In , skin cancer was treated for the first time with radium by Dr Ricardo Valencia. In , the Radium National Institute was inaugurated with beds, 4 machines of kV, 2 machines of kV and one superficial and one telecurietherapy machine. In , the first cobalt machine was implemented.

Currently, Colombia has 55 decentralised centres of radiotherapy with 53 linear accelerators, 22 machines with IMRT capacity and 35 HDR brachytherapy machines, among others [ 1 ] Figure 3. In , Dr Conrado Zuckerman founded the Department of Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy for patients with cervical carcinoma. Some practitioners were working as radiotherapists and surgeons at the same time.

In , in the National University of Mexico, the master programme in physics of radiations and radiologic safety was instated.

Up to , 50 centres of radiotherapy with cobalt and cesium machines operated in Mexico. In , the new facility of the National Institute of Cancerology had cobalt machines, linear accelerators, tomography and nuclear medicine. In , in an effort towards cancer care decentralisation, the Onological Centre of the state of Guerrero, sister institution of the National Institute of Cancerology, was inaugurated. According to ALATRO, currently, there are 23 public centres offering radiotherapy, with around 30 brachytherapy machines of low and high dose.

The result is a balanced but often critical tome published by the University of Chicago Press in This, alas, is a difficult question to definitively answer and it seems unlikely we will ever have the precise answer with respect to his claims of primacy. Howard Markel writes a monthly column for the PBS NewsHour, highlighting the anniversary of a momentous event that continues to shape modern medicine. Howard Markel writes a monthly column for the PBS NewsHour, highlighting momentous historical events that continue to shape modern medicine.

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