[Biologic dosage: its use in high irradiation]. / Dosimetria biologica: l'impiego nelle irradiazioni elevate.

It is impossible, in high-dose irradiation, using only one physical dosimeter, to get any valid information to quantify biological damage to subjects, even if it's possible to measure skin-dose with great accuracy. Radiosensibility changes from one subject to another, thus it's necessary to consider some specific biological parameters to evaluate physical conditions of treated patients. Hematological, genetic and chemical tests are valid means to determine the internally distributed dose and to choose the most appropriate therapeutic "protocol".

Proton-therapy, present status.

At the moment, proton-therapy is the most advanced radiotherapeutic technique in cancer treatment. The use of the high energy proton beam (from 70 MeV to 200 MeV) lets a Bragg's peak be moved to different depths, so allowing personal radiotherapeutic treatment. In recent years, many proton-therapy centers have grown up throughout the world with very satisfactory clinical results, first of all in eye melanoma treatment. The future expectations are very promising, even if the very high installation and maintenance expenses of a synchrotron (for proton production) hinder the development of such a method.