Document Detail


The contribution, history, impact and future of physics in medicine.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18766998     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This is an "Opinion" or "Commentary" text to support the Invited Opening Plenary Lecture of the NACP2008 Conference. It is an outrageously broad title, that I have been given, and I have made selections for the focus of the lecture and for this report. I observe a research methodology in medical physics whereby key developments have come from standing on the shoulders of those who have come before and I illustrate this by the invention of x-ray computed tomography and the development of intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The equally key role of somewhat maligned incremental science is also discussed. Some commentary is made on the enormous range of activities in medicine to which medical physicists have contributed. Conversely, future gazing is a totally unscientific process. Nevertheless I add my thoughts in broad generalities and also in specifics for the field (radiotherapy physics) in which I work and might be expected to be more accurate in my proposals. I conclude with some remarks on the conditions needed to achieve good scientific outcome.
Authors:
Steve Webb
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Historical Article; Journal Article; Review    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)     Volume:  48     ISSN:  1651-226X     ISO Abbreviation:  Acta Oncol     Publication Date:  2009  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-01-30     Completed Date:  2009-04-17     Revised Date:  2009-05-12    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8709065     Medline TA:  Acta Oncol     Country:  Norway    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  169-77     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Biomedical Research / trends
History of Medicine*
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
Medicine / methods,  trends*
Neoplasms / therapy
Physics / history*,  methods,  trends*
Portraits as Topic
Radiotherapy / history,  methods,  trends

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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