[Technical and methodical developments of radiation oncology from a physician's point of view]

Technical and methodical developments have changed radiation oncology substantially over the last 40 years. Modern imaging methods, e.g., computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound (US), have not only improved the detection of tumors but have also become tools for computed treatment planning. Megavoltage irradiation with accelerators using photons and electrons with large and small fields, intensity modulation (IMRT), image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT), stereotactic irradiation and radiosurgery, intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT), and modern remote controlled afterloading brachytherapy have made high precision radiotherapy increasingly possible. Hadron therapy has potential for further developments. Radiation oncology today is an interdisciplinary modality and increasingly considers interactions with new drugs and differentiated surgical methods. There is a strong need for comprehensive evaluation of the new methods and also for translational research in biology of tumors and normal tissue biology as well as in medical physics and techniques.