Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 14, 2025
05:18
Author Spotlight: Improving Radiation Therapy Access with Radiation Planning Assistant
Published on: October 6, 2023
1.6K
Emerging Cybersecurity Threats in Radiation Oncology
Christine Joyce1, Faustin Laurentiu Roman2, Brett Miller3
1University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennesse.
Advances in Radiation Oncology
|November 8, 2021
Summary
Cyberattacks increasingly threaten radiation therapy, disrupting patient care. Enhanced cybersecurity strategies, including a "zero-trust" approach, are crucial for protecting oncology practices from evolving digital threats.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Oncology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Modern radiation therapy relies heavily on information technology, making it vulnerable to cyberattacks.
- Recent escalations in cyberattacks have significantly impacted radiation therapy treatments globally.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the growing cybersecurity risks in radiation oncology.
- To highlight the need for a dedicated focus on cybersecurity within the field.
Main Methods:
- Review of emerging cybersecurity threats relevant to healthcare.
- Literature review of cyberattacks specifically impacting radiation oncology practices.
Main Results:
- Numerous cyberattacks in the past decade have interrupted radiation therapy for thousands of patients.
- Some incidents have had a more severe impact than the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment centers.
Conclusions:
- Cybersecurity threats are evolving, necessitating adaptive strategies for healthcare organizations.
- Recommendations include adopting a "zero-trust" security model and a "cloud-first" approach.
- Increased resilience, improved cybersecurity maturity, and international collaboration are vital for patient protection.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Radiation: Applications
1.3K
The average temperature of Earth is the subject of much current discussion. Earth is in radiative contact with both the Sun and dark space; it receives almost all its energy from the radiation of the Sun and reflects some of it into outer space. Dark space is very cold, about 3 K, so Earth radiates energy into it. For instance, heat transfer occurs from soil and grasses, the rate of which can be so rapid that frost can occur on clear summer evenings, even in warm latitudes.
The average...
The average...
1.3K
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
16.3K
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they...
16.3K
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
5.9K
The issues and trends in healthcare delivery are constantly changing. The COVID-19 pandemic is one recent issue that wreaked havoc on healthcare systems, causing a shortage of healthcare workers, high demand for medicines and supplies, and increased medical expenditure due to a lack of insurance. Other issues include rising healthcare costs and care fragmentation.
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
5.9K
01:25Ethical Standards I
1.1K
The American Nurses Association (ANA) created and implemented the first nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Code of Ethics is a living document regularly updated by the ANA and establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable for nurses in all roles and settings.
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
1.1K
01:05Absorption of Radiation
883
The rate of heat transfer by emitted radiation is described by the Stefan-Boltzmann law of radiation:
883
02:56Treatment Resistant Cancers
3.4K
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
3.4K