Abstract

There is significant worldwide interest in the medical use of proton beams with energies ranging between 65 and 250 MeV because of their favourable depth–dose properties (see Figure 46.1), and considerable technological progress has been made (Bonnet 1993; ICRU 1998; Sisterson 2004). This chapter presents the physical and technological basis of proton therapy (Wilson 1946; Fowler 1981; Bonnet 1993; Chu et al. 1993; Webb 1993; Linz 1995), as well as covering the terminology, procedures and tools now available.