Radiation oncology: nota bene for prac ticing oncologists

Radiation oncology is a unique clinical specialty that was born on the crossroad of several scientific fields. In the past several years the growth of this field has rapidly accelerated, making the mastery of all new clinical information without daily practice and dedicated learning simply impossible. For this reason, the presence and active participation of a radiation oncologist in the multidisciplinary team that determines and recommends to cancer patients treatment strategies is obligatory. This will be a constantly recurring leitmotif in this article, which will be dedicated to various aspects of radiation therapy that any practicing oncologist should be familiar with.