ABSTRACT
The use of ionising radiation to treat cancer has a long history since the first treatment of cancer with X-rays in the late 1800s. Many types of radiation have been employed to achieve control of tumour viability. The depth–dose profile of four current types of external beam radiations – a 'low' linear energy transfer (LET) beam of photons, two 'high' LET unmodified and spread-out Bragg peak beams of protons, and carbon ions – are compared. Particle radiobiology has matured as a scientific specialty since the late 1800s in parallel with the development of an extraordinary number of technical advances that have increased our capabilities to investigate mechanisms of action. There have been several efforts to unite worldwide research on hadron therapy. One such example is the establishment of the European Network for Light Ion Hadron Therapy that was launched in 2002.
