Louis Potters, MD, FACR, FASTRO

The data for adjuvant radiotherapy remain strong.

Dr. Hevezi has outlined someexciting new developments inthe field of radiation oncologyin his thorough review. Since its inception,radiation oncology has beengeographically based, ie, related to theradiation exposure of tumor vs normaltissue. It is therefore a logical extensionof new radiographic technologythat allows for more preciseplacement of radiation fields than everbefore. Further, as outlined by Dr.Hevezi, the development of treatmentplanning computers coupled to verificationcomputers on the liner acceleratoris associated with precise radiationdelivery that exploits the relativeradiation dose between the tumorand normal tissue, allowing higherdoses to be used without increasedtoxicity.

The goal of identifying a set of pretreatment risk-stratifying factors for patients with localized prostate cancer is to be able to individualize treatment and optimize patient selection for clinical trials. Low-risk patients are most likely

The article by Dr. William Small on the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of breast cancer is a comprehensive review of the current standards of care and highlights the controversies surrounding recent trends. Breast cancer treatment has come full circle in the last 20 years, with emphasis now being placed on technical advances and treatment techniques as new data substantiate the impact of radiation therapy on survival following local surgery and mastectomy.

Current techniques for permanent prostate brachytherapy are associated with excellent biochemical control in patients with localized prostate cancer. Data now available confirm 5- to 10-year results with this treatment