2. Radiotherapy methods in patients managements - combination of radiotherapeutic modalities.
Covers orthovoltage radiotherapy, beginning with its historical place among the earliest forms of radiotherapy and the limits of earlier x-ray sources. It gives the tube voltage range, the penetration depth that makes the beams suited to superficial tissue but not deeper structures, and the skin and bone conditions it still treats, noting that linear accelerators have largely replaced it for deeper tumours.
Inside: 1 section · 11 flashcards · 1 min
Topic 17 of 50 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Nuclear Medicine (Medicine, Year 4). The free AceMed note covers it in 1 section, about 121 words (1 min of reading), with 11 flashcards.
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Orthovoltage radiotherapy
Orthovoltage radiotherapy
Orthovoltage radiotherapy was one of the first forms of radiotherapy available. Prior to its use, the only form of x-rays were from radon, which omitted radon gas, however these did not provide enough energy to be used in deep tumors. Orthovoltage rays, produced by x-ray tubes, operate at voltage of 100-500 kV, and are used in external beam radiotherapy to treat tumors. They penetrate tissue to a depth of 4-6cm, making them good for superficial tissues, but not deeper structures.
Orthovoltage rays are still used to treat skin lesions such as melanoma, SCC, BCC and keloids, along with bone neoplasia, however with the induction of linear particle accelerators in the 1970s (see below) their use for deeper tumors is not required.
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