Chemical radiosensitizers: the Journal history

Area of Science:

• Radiobiology
• Medical Physics
• Oncology

Background:

• This review examines the Journal's historical and current contributions to the field of chemical radiosensitizers.
• The scope includes a broad definition of chemical agents, from hypoxic cell sensitizers to nanoparticles, excluding oxygen, phototoxicity, and hyperthermia sensitization.

Observation:

• A significant increase in publications on radiation sensitizing agents began after 1970, peaking in the late 1980s.
• The most highly-cited papers, particularly those on hypoxic cell sensitizers, were published between 1969 and 1974.
• Physical approaches to radiosensitization emerged later, with the third most-cited paper appearing two decades after early chemical sensitizer research.

Findings:

• Approximately 600 articles related to radiation sensitizing agents have been published in the Journal.
• Early research focused on chemical radiosensitizers, with a notable surge in publications and highly-cited works in the 1970s.
• While chemical approaches have been explored extensively, a breakthrough agent for differential tumor sensitization remains elusive.

Implications:

• The search for a tumor-selective radiosensitizing agent continues to be a central objective in clinical radiobiology.
• Despite decades of research, a clinically effective chemical radiosensitizer has not yet been developed.
• Optimism persists regarding future success in developing such agents for cancer treatment.