Latest Talking point
Talking point RSS feedImproving patient safety: ongoing efforts
Aug 13, 2010
What's being done to improve patient safety in radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging?
A capital week for Canadian medical physicists
Jul 16, 2010
The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists held its annual scientific meeting last month in Ottawa. Malcolm McEwen of the National Research Council Canada reports on the event's highlights.
Molecular imaging targets angiogenesis analysis
Jul 2, 2010
Molecular imaging modalities offer potential for assessing angiogenic response and monitoring therapeutic angiogenesis. Yale University's Lawrence W Dobrucki and co-authors review recent process.
Proton therapy: scattering versus scanning
May 28, 2010
Varian's Marcel Marc and Armin Langenegger take a look at the pros and cons of scattering- and scanning-based proton therapy techniques.
Radiotherapy safety: the key role of QA
Apr 29, 2010 (1 comment)
To prevent radiation therapy errors and accidents, quality assurance programmes must be appropriately structured and independently audited, recommends MD Anderson's Geoffrey Ibbott.
WIMP 2010: a cool connection
Mar 30, 2010
Last month, around 60 physicists attended the Winter Institute of Medical Physics, to catch up on the latest developments in radiotherapy and medical imaging, and hone their snowboarding and skiing skills alongside.
MR-guidance: the next step for IGRT?
Feb 25, 2010
As imaging becomes an indispensable part of the radiotherapy process, will MR-guided treatment prove the way forward?
Molecular imaging: a cancer biomarker
Jan 19, 2010
As cancer therapies become increasingly individualized, functional and molecular imaging can play a key role in directing treatment and monitoring early response. David Mankoff from the University of Washington explains.
Proton therapy: future directions
Dec 16, 2009
What does the future hold for proton therapy, and which technologies will enable its progression? An expert panel discusses.
Mammography CAD: more than a perception aid
Nov 17, 2009
CAD technology should operate with at least the same performance level as an expert reader. Nico Karssemeijer discusses steps in this direction.
In vivo dosimetry: implementation issues
Oct 28, 2009
In vivo radiotherapy dosimetry has a great deal to offer, so why is it not more widely deployed? Writing in the British Journal of Radiology, Craig Edwards takes a closer look.
Bringing medical physics to the developing world
Sep 25, 2009
Setting up medical physics facilities in developing countries requires not only access to appropriate systems, but also effective training of staff to operate and maintain this equipment. Henry Lawrence discusses his experiences.
Threats to ultra-high-field MRI
Aug 27, 2009
A European directive designed to prevent workers from being exposed to high magnetic fields could potentially have a severe impact on research into MRI, warns Denis Le Bihan.
Radiation therapy risks: prioritizing patient safety
Aug 4, 2009
In a comprehensive review of radiotherapy safety incidents, Jesmin Shafiq and Michael Barton reveal that although errors leading to serious incidents are rare, it's vital that treatment centres implement and continually monitor risk-reducing measures.
Volumetric-modulated arc therapy: its role in radiation therapy
Jun 25, 2009
VMAT is currently a hot topic in radiotherapy. But it's still lacking a universal theory relating the resulting dose distribution and clinical outcome to input parameters, explains Steve Webb.
The potential of PET: a closer look
Jun 8, 2009
PET/CT shows great potential for target delineation in radiation therapy planning. In a recent paper in the journal Academic Radiology, Habib Zaidi reviews progress in molecular-imaging-guided radiotherapy.
Optical modelling points the way to PDT progress
May 14, 2009
Off-the-shelf commercial software is helping scientists to enhance the clinical efficacy of photodynamic therapy for targeted tumour destruction, reports Joe McEntee.
Diagnostic imaging: advancing radiation protection
Apr 15, 2009
Web-enabled QA software tools could help the medical physics community develop a quantitative risk-benefit framework for diagnostic radiology, explains Michael Moores.
IMRT planning: biological models take a central role
Mar 12, 2009
Using tumour control probability models for IMRT planning could enable the ultimate balance between control and toxicity, explains NKI's Marnix Witte.
Clinical implementation: how can IMRT become routine?
Feb 16, 2009 (5 comments)
IMRT offers the potential for superior target coverage and reduced normal-tissue exposure, so why is it not yet the standard radiotherapy modality at all clinical centres? Marco Schwarz discusses.