Historical Development of Radiation Therapy

NOVEMBER 8, 1895

What date?

-Discovery of x-rays/ roentgen rays while experimenting on his Hittorf-Crooks high vacuum tube.

DECEMBER 22, 1895

What date?

A radiograph of the hand of Roentgen’s wife, Anna Bertha Ludwig was produced

DECEMBER 28, 1895

What date?

Roentgen delivered a written presentation of his discovery to the Physical Medical Society of Wurzburg entitled “On a New Kind of Rays.”

Becquerel

Few weeks after Roentgen’s discover, ____ observed the darkening of photographic plates by uranium salts. Hence, radioactivity was discovered

uranium salts

Few weeks after Roentgen’s discover, Becquerel observed the darkening of photographic plates by ___. Hence, radioactivity was discovered

radioactivity

Few weeks after Roentgen’s discover, Becquerel observed the darkening of photographic plates by uranium salts. Hence, ____ was discovered

Marie Curie

became also became interested in the phenomenon, and coined the term Radioactivity, conducted pioneering research, and discovered new radioactive elements.

Radioactivity

Marie Curie became also became interested in the phenomenon, and coined the term ___, conducted pioneering research, and discovered new radioactive elements

JULY 1898

What date?

Discovery of Polonium

DECEMBER 1898

What date?

Discovery of Radium

Marie Curie

____ pioneering research into radioactivity, particularly her work with radium, led to the discovery of its biological effects, including erythema (skin reddening/inflammation), which was one of the first visible signs of radiation damage.

erythema

Marie Curie’s pioneering research into radioactivity, particularly her work with radium, led to the discovery of its biological effects, including ___ , which was one of the first visible signs of radiation damage.

erythema

skin reddening/inflammation

radium

The Curies found that __ could destroy diseased cells faster than healthy ones, leading to its use in treating tumors.

January 29,1896

The first recorded X-ray treatment for breast cancer was performed by Emil Grubbe in Chicago on

Emil Grubbe

The first recorded X-ray treatment for breast cancer was performed by ___ in Chicago on January 29, 1896.

Emil Grubbe

He treated Mrs. Rose Lee, who had recurrent, inoperable breast cancer, using a tube that produced low-energy radiation

November 24, 1896

What date?

Leopold Freund treated a 5-year-old girl who suffered from a hairy nevus that covered her entire back. It was carried out with an X-ray apparatus that was located in a photography research institute in Vienna.

Leopold Freund

He treated a 5-year-old girl who suffered from a hairy nevus that covered her entire back. It was carried out with an X-ray apparatus that was located in a photography research institute in Vienna. He gave one session a day and each one lasted two hours. He performed a first series of ten sessions only on the upper half of the back

1901

In ___, Dr. Henri-Alexandre Danlos and Paul Bloch at Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris were the first to use radium, obtained from Marie and Pierre Curie, to treat skin lesions (specifically lupus erythematosus)

Dr. Henri-Alexandre Danlos and Paul Bloch

In 1901, ____ and ___ at Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris were the first to use radium, obtained from Marie and Pierre Curie, to treat skin lesions (specifically lupus erythematosus)

skin lesions; lupus erythematosus

In 1901, Dr. Henri-Alexandre Danlos and Paul Bloch at Hôpital Saint-Louis in Paris were the first to use radium, obtained from Marie and Pierre Curie, to treat (specifically _)

October 1893

What date?

Dr. Margaret Cleaves described the first published case of a patient with advanced cervical cancer with rectal and bladder involvement that was treated with intracavitary brachytherapy using a sealed glass tube containing radium bromide.

Dr. Margaret Cleaves

___ described the first published case of a patient with advanced cervical cancer with rectal and bladder involvement that was treated with intracavitary brachytherapy using a sealed glass tube containing radium bromide.

1905

What year?

Robbert Abbe (New York Surgeon) implanted radium directly implanted radium on a tumor

Robbert Abbe

___ (New York Surgeon) implanted radium directly implanted radium on a tumor

Radioactive Quackery

is quackery that improperly promotes radioactivity as a therapy for illnesses

radium

Widespread commercial exploitation of ___ only began in 1913, by which time more efficient methods of extracting radium from pitchblende had been discovered and the mining of radium had taken off.

1913

Widespread commercial exploitation of radium only began in __, by which time more efficient methods of extracting radium from pitchblende had been discovered and the mining of radium had taken off.

1908

Year ___, the radium was first used in USA

surgeons and dermatologists

The clinical pioneers in radiation therapy were mostly ____ and ___

1911

Year ___, Marie Curie discovered an accurate standard for determining the amount of radioactivity in each source

Marie Curie

Year 1911, ___ discovered an accurate standard for determining the amount of radioactivity in each source

1914

Year ___, methods were developed for collecting radon in small glass tubes, which were then placed inside hollow metal seeds. Like radium needles, these could be inserted directly into the tumor

Claudius Regaud

His experiments led to the concept of therapeutic ratio

Henri Coutar

He was a pioneer physician and scientist who established the development of the "protracted fractional method" of radiation dosing.

protracted fractional method

Henri Coutar was a pioneer physician and scientist who established the development of the "___" of radiation dosing.

1920

Year ___, the discovery of the vacuum x-ray tube capable of operating at peak of 200-250 kVp had become very significant in therapeutic applications of radiation

vacuum x-ray tube

Year 1920, the discovery of the ___ capable of operating at peak of 200-250 kVp had become very significant in therapeutic applications of radiation

200-250 kVp

Year 1920, the discovery of the vacuum x-ray tube capable of operating at peak of ___ had become very significant in therapeutic applications of radiation

1920-1940

What year…

Improved treatment techniques were discovered years after the invention of Coolidge’s vacuum

1920-1940

What year…

The use of water bags and crossfire techniques were used for improved machine designs and reliability with regards to treatments

1940-1960

What year…

The first use of “supervoltage” radiation therapy equipment which was considered to be anything operating greater than 1 MV

1940-1960

What year…

Several machines such as betatrons, linear accelerators and machines using reactor produced sources of

1940-1960

What year…

Cobalt60 emerge

1940-1960

What year…

The skin-sparing effect was also gained with the discovery of new machines

Coolidge’s vacuum

In 1920-1940…

Improved treatment techniques were discovered years after the invention of___

supervoltage

In 1940-1960…

The first use of “___” radiation therapy equipment which was considered to be anything operating greater than 1 MV.

1 MV

In 1940-1960…

The first use of “supervoltage” radiation therapy equipment which was considered to be anything operating greater than ___.

1940-1960

In what year…

As physical improvements to the beam were made, along with the advances in the design and versatility of

1940-1960

In what year…

treatment machines, the doors on new era in radiation therapy opened.

1940-1960

In what year…

Instruments capable of mapping the isodose distribution in phantoms were developed

1940-1960

In what year…

The need for wedges to produce desired dose distribution was recognized and advanced tissue compensators emerged

1940-1960

In what year…

During this era, radium continued to be the primary source for temporary intracavitary and interstitial therapy

1940-1960

In what year…

Radon seeds were used for permanent interstitial implants

Radon seeds

In 1940-1960…

__ were used for permanent interstitial implants

1960- Present

What year…

Modern developments in electronics and computers were used to diagnose and treat patients with cancer

1960- Present

What year…

Simulators, treatment-planning computers and instruments to measure and map dose

1960- Present

What year…

The use of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging gave impact on radiation therapy

1960 - Present

What year…

The development of customized shielding blocks improved the reproducibility of the treatment field and sparing of adjacent normal tissue

1960 - Present

What year…

Conformal therapy was developed to treat irregular shaped targets. Machines are designed with multileaf collimators.

1960 - Present

What year…

3D renditions of CT and MRI images were used to outline normal organs and tumor volume

1960 - Present

What year…

Fast neutrons, pi mesons and heavy ions are also being used in radiation therapy.

1990

What year…

the introduction of 3D conformal therapy was able to treat malignancies with more efficacy and safety to patients.

1960- Present

What year…

Image-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) were also discovered and are continually being used for treatment delivery in today’s era.

Image-modulated radiation therapy

IMRT

Image-guided radiotherapy

IGRT

Image-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT)

___ &___ were also discovered and are continually being used for treatment delivery in today’s era

1951

In ___, Lars Leksell coined the term "stereotactic radiosurgery" and conceptualized the delivery of a single, high dose of irradiation to a small, critically located intracranial volume through an intact skull

Lars Leksell

In 1951, ___ coined the term "stereotactic radiosurgery" and conceptualized the delivery of a single, high dose of irradiation to a small, critically located intracranial volume through an intact skull.

stereotactic radiosurgery

In 1951, Lars Leksell coined the term "___" and conceptualized the delivery of a single, high dose of irradiation to a small, critically located intracranial volume through an intact skull.

1965

Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) was first introduced in the mid-1960s, with the first modern, systematic studies beginning in ___ at the University of Kyoto in Japan

Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT)

____ was first introduced in the mid-1960s, with the first modern, systematic studies beginning in 1965 at the University of Kyoto in Japan

Gamma Knife

The ____ was invented in the late 1960s by Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, with the first patient treated in 1967.

late 1960s

The Gamma Knife was invented in the ___ by Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, with the first patient treated in 1967.

1967

The Gamma Knife was invented in the late 1960s by Swedish neurosurgeon Lars Leksell at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, with the first patient treated in ____.

afterloading techniques

Along with the tremendous popularity of using artificial isotopes came the development of ___. This technique is used primarily to reduce exposure to hospital personnel.

1960- Present

In what year…

Along with the tremendous popularity of using artificial isotopes came the development of afterloading techniques. This technique is used primarily to reduce exposure to hospital personnel

Cobalt 60, Cesium 137 and Iridium192

Radium was replaced with less hazardous radioactive materials such as, ___, ___, and ____

1960- Present

In what year…

Radium was replaced with less hazardous radioactive materials such as, Cobalt 60, Cesium 137 and Iridium192

1970-1980

On year ___, the introduction of proton beam for treatment delivery has been successfully used.

proton beam

On year 1970-1980, the introduction of ___ for treatment delivery has been successfully used.

1980’s

In the Late ___, Dr. John Adler conceived the idea of Cyberknife after working with Lars Leksell, the inventor of the Gamma Knife. He aimed to create a system that could treat tumors outside the brain (extracranial) without needing a rigid head frame

Dr. John Adler

In the Late 1980’s, ____ conceived the idea of Cyberknife after working with Lars Leksell, the inventor of the Gamma Knife. He aimed to create a system that could treat tumors outside the brain (extracranial) without needing a rigid head frame

Oligometastasis

____, coined in 1995 by Drs. Samuel Hellman and Ralph Weichselbaum, describes a cancer state with a limited number of metastases (typically 1–5).

1995

Oligometastasis, coined in ___ by Drs. Samuel Hellman and Ralph Weichselbaum, describes a cancer state with a limited number of metastases (typically 1–5).

Drs. Samuel Hellman and Ralph Weichselbaum

Oligometastasis, coined in 1995 by ____ and ___, describes a cancer state with a limited number of metastases (typically 1–5).

Oligometastasis

This concept shifted the paradigm from treating all metastases as incurable systemic disease to using localized, curative-intent therapies (surgery, SBRT) for better long-term outcomes.

Carbon ion therapy (CIRT)

____ originated in the 1970s as a high-linear energy transfer (LET) alternative to proton/photon radiation, providing superior, highly conformal, and biologically effective cancer treatment, particularly for radioresistant tumors. It officially moved to clinical use in 1994 at Japan's NIRS, where the first dedicated accelerator, HIMAC, was established.

1970s

Carbon ion therapy (CIRT) originated in the ___ as a high-linear energy transfer (LET) alternative to proton/photon radiation, providing superior, highly conformal, and biologically effective cancer treatment, particularly for radioresistant tumors. It officially moved to clinical use in 1994 at Japan's NIRS, where the first dedicated accelerator, HIMAC, was established.

1994

Carbon ion therapy (CIRT) originated in the 1970s as a high-linear energy transfer (LET) alternative to proton/photon radiation, providing superior, highly conformal, and biologically effective cancer treatment, particularly for radioresistant tumors. It officially moved to clinical use in ____ at Japan's NIRS, where the first dedicated accelerator, HIMAC, was established.

Japan's NIRS

Carbon ion therapy (CIRT) originated in the 1970s as a high-linear energy transfer (LET) alternative to proton/photon radiation, providing superior, highly conformal, and biologically effective cancer treatment, particularly for radioresistant tumors. It officially moved to clinical use in 1994 at ___, where the first dedicated accelerator, HIMAC, was established.

1960- Present

What year…

Advancements on treatment planning pave way to adaptive radiotherapy, where treatment plans are made conformal depending on tumor size of the patient in line with daily imaging