Gyarmathy László, Varjas Géza, Major Tibor, Fodor János, Kásler Miklós
Országos Onkológiai Intézet 1122 Budapest Ráth Gy. u. 7-9.
Magy Onkol. 2008 Sep;52(3):299-304. doi: 10.1556/MOnkol.52.2008.3.8.
The first patient in Hungary was treated by cobalt therapy fifty years ago at the National Institute of Oncology with a Gravicert type equipment. On the occasion of this anniversary, the 50-year history of the Hungarian cobalt therapy is reviewed, and its present role is discussed. The first cobalt unit (Gravicert) was designed by László Bozóky seven years after the first cobalt unit installation in the world in Canada. The megavoltage energy of the Co-60 source (average: 1.25 MeV) resulted in more successful treatments of deep-seated tumors compared to the X-ray therapy. In the next two-three decades, until the widespread use of the high-energy linear accelerators, the Co-60 teletherapy meant the modern radiation treatment throughout the world. Improvements of quality in radiation techniques necessitated exact localization of the tumors and developments of treatment planning methods. At the beginning, the localization was performed with X-ray machines, while the treatment planning was done manually. In 1965 a Rotacert type cobalt unit was installed at our institute. This machine was already capable of making irradiation in multiple directions and it worked in rotating mode, too. In Hungary, more cobalt units - first the Gravicert type, then foreign made machines - were gradually installed in other radiotherapy centers too. The quality of treatments was significantly improved by the introduction of the computerized treatment planning, and the foundation of the IAEA-supported National Treatment Planning Network in 1978 was an important step in this process. The next important development was the commencement of the CT image based treatment planning in 1981. With the spread of modern linear accelerators the role of the cobalt units has greatly decreased by now, however, nearly 2,500 cobalt units are still in use worldwide. Their usage could be further increased with technical developments. At present, radiation treatments are performed with cobalt units in eight out of twelve radiotherapy centers in Hungary.
50年前，匈牙利的首例患者在国立肿瘤研究所使用Gravicert型设备接受了钴治疗。值此周年之际，回顾了匈牙利钴治疗的50年历史，并讨论了其当前的作用。首个钴治疗设备（Gravicert）是由拉斯洛·博佐基在世界上首个钴治疗设备于加拿大安装7年后设计的。与X射线治疗相比，钴-60源的兆伏能量（平均：1.25 MeV）使深部肿瘤的治疗更为成功。在接下来的二三十年里，直到高能直线加速器广泛应用之前，钴-60远距离治疗在全球范围内都代表着现代放射治疗。放射技术质量的提高需要对肿瘤进行精确的定位以及治疗计划方法的发展。起初，定位是用X射线机进行的，而治疗计划是手动完成的。1965年，一台Rotacert型钴治疗设备安装在了我们研究所。这台机器已经能够进行多方向照射，并且也能以旋转模式工作。在匈牙利，更多的钴治疗设备——先是Gravicert型，然后是国外制造的设备——也逐渐被安装到了其他放射治疗中心。计算机化治疗计划的引入显著提高了治疗质量，1978年在国际原子能机构支持下建立的国家治疗计划网络是这一过程中的重要一步。下一个重要发展是1981年开始基于CT图像的治疗计划。随着现代直线加速器的普及，钴治疗设备的作用如今已大幅下降，然而，全球仍有近2500台钴治疗设备在使用。随着技术的发展，它们的使用可能会进一步增加。目前，匈牙利12个放射治疗中心中有8个仍在使用钴治疗设备进行放射治疗。
