Abstract
Clinical trials with negative-pion beams for cancer radiotherapy will begin soon at four special facilities in the USA, Canada, and Switzerland. Negative pions are elementary particles which can be produced in high energy accelerators and which have properties that make them seem promising as a new way of treating tumours. The complex interactions that pions undergo in matter make it difficult to calculate dose patterns produced in a body irradiated by a pion beam and to solve that problem a unique combination of research in high energy physics and medicine is needed. Monte Carlo computer codes developed for radiation shielding and radiation protection studies have been adopted for use in dosimetry and treatment planning with negative pions. In this paper we briefly compare the properties of negative pions with those of other types of radiation and describe some calculations that we have made to help assess the potential of negative pions for cancer radiotherapy.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fowler, P. H., and Perkins, D. H., Nature, 189, 524–528 (1961).
Gardner, E., and Lattes, C. M., Science 107, 270–271 (1948).
Rothenberg, M. S., Phys. Today, 28, No. 2, 17–20 (1975).
Yukawa, H., Proc. phys.-math. Soc., Japan., 17, 48–57 (1935).
Lattes, C. M. G., Occhialini, G. P. S., and Powell, C. F., Nature, 160, 453–456 and 486–492 (1947).
Dutrannois, J. R., Hamm, R. N., Turner, J. E., and Wright, H. A., Phys. Med. Biol., 17, 765–770 (1972).
Ammiraju, P., and Lederman, L. M., Nuovo Cimento, 4, 283–306 (1956).
Raju, M. R., and Richman, C., Curr. Top. Rad. Res. Quart., 8, 159–233 (1972).
Proceedings of the Conference on Particle Accelerators in Radiation Therapy, 1972 (National Technical Information Service, US Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22151).
Kligerman, M., Eur. J. Cancer, 7, 191–194 (1971).
Kaplan, H. S., Eur. J. Cancer, 7, 195–198 (1971).
Turner, J. E., et al., Rad. Res., 52, 229–246 (1972).
Chandler, K. C., and Armstrong, T. W., Nucl. Sci. Eng., 49, 110–111 (1972).
Li, G. C., Boyd, D., and Schwettman, H. A., Phys. Med. Biol., 19, 436–447 (1974).
Wright, H. A., Hamm, R. N., and Turner, J. E., ORNL-TM Report (in the press).
Guthrie, M. P., Alsmiller, R. G., Jr, and Bertini, H. W., Nucl. Inst. Meth., 66, 29–36 (1968).
Fowler, P. H., and Mayes, V. M., Proc. phys. Soc., 92, 377–389 (1967).
Hamm, R. N., Wright, H. A., and Turner, J. E., ORNL-TM-5088 Report (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, October 1975).
Hamm, R. N., Wright, H. A., and Turner, J. E., Phys. med. Biol. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Turner, J., Hamm, R. & Wright, H. Calculations for cancer radiotherapy with pion beams. Nature 263, 195–198 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263195a0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263195a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
