Report on first therapeutical applications of a linear accelerator in Plzen

The Neptun 10 industrial materials testing linear accelerator was modified and used for the treatment of diseases which would require large-volume irradiation. Next to the possibility of covering large fields its advantage are high dose rates and sharply defined beams thanks to a small focus and hard radiation. As compared with cobalt sources the irradiation times were approximately 3 times shorter. Expected therapeutical results were achieved in curable patients. Also advantageous is the possibility of homogeneous irradiation of large volumes using significantly lower integral doses, especially for bigger patients, and the possibility of using long narrow sharply defined fields with maximum dose under the body surface in irradiating the central nervous system, especially the spinal cord. (author)