End-of-range Radiobiological Effect on Rib Fractures in Patients Receiving Proton Therapy for Breast Cancer

A prospective trial of proton therapy for breast cancer revealed an increased rib fracture rate of 7%, which is higher than the expected rate based on the literature on photon therapies. We aim to evaluate the hypothesis that the increased relative biological effectiveness (RBE) at the distal edge of proton beams is the reason.

Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics - March 29, 2020 Category: Radiology Authors: Chia-Chun Wang, Aimee L. McNamara, Jungwook Shin, Jan Schuemann, Clemens Grassberger, Alphonse G. Taghian, Rachel B. Jimenez, Shannon M. MacDonald, Harald Paganetti Source Type: research