Honors Theses and Capstones
Date of Award
Spring 2017
Project Type
Thesis
College or School
CEPS
Department
Physics
Program or Major
Physics
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
First Advisor
William Hersman
Abstract
Radiation therapy uses high energy radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy for cancer treatment can take the form of photon therapy (using x-rays and gamma rays), or charged particle therapy including proton therapy and electron therapy. Within these categories, numerous methods of delivery have been developed. For example, a certain type of radiation can be administered by a machine outside of the body, called external-beam radiation therapy, or by a “seed” placed inside of the body near cancer cells, called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Approximately half of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy, and the form of radiation treatment depends on the type of tumor, location of the tumor, available resources, and characteristics of the individual receiving treatment. In the current paper, we discuss and review the various forms of radiation therapy, the physics behind these treatments, the effectiveness of each treatment type compared with the others, the latest research on radiation therapy treatment, and future research directions. We found that proton therapy is the most promising and effective form of radiation therapy, with photon methods such as intensity modulated radiation therapy, 3D-conformal radiation therapy, image guided radiation therapy, and volumetric modulated radiation therapy also showing very good comparative performance.
Recommended Citation
Collins, Cielle, "Radiation Therapy Medical Physics Review – Delivery, Interactions, Safety, Feasibility, and Head to Head Comparisons of the Leading Radiation Therapy Techniques" (2017). Honors Theses and Capstones. 377.
https://scholars.unh.edu/honors/377
Included in
Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Commons, Nuclear Commons, Other Physics Commons, Therapeutics Commons