Improved radiation protection and optimizing in gynaecological radiotherapy

Gynaecological radiotherapy is used to show that indication, dose level, fractionation and irradiation volumes will influence the observance of clinical (i.e. concomitant diseases, staging, etc.) and histological issues and, hence, radiation protection of the adjacent organs, for instance, in terms of an optimization of radiation protection. Observance of histologically 'particular features' and of specific tumour properties will allow to modify the radiosensitivity of various tumours thus enabling to match radiotherapy to specific requirements of the individual patients while considering patient characteristics and concomitant diseases. In addition, improved technical methods (high voltage, neutron, and pion irradiation) or modification of fractionation schemes (short-term afterloading, intraoperative irradiation, interstitial application) herald major changes in radiotherapy. (orig./HSCH)