Radiotherapy in Queensland: Pre-2000
The table below summarises the development of radiation oncology, particularly radiation oncology medical physics, in Queensland, prior to the year 2000. References Hoffman, KM, 1986. The History of the Queensland Cancer Trust and the Queensland Radium Institute. Morgan GW, 1996….
Metropolitan Vickers patient treatments
The number of courses delivered on Australia’s first clinical linear accelerator, a Metropolitan Vickers “Orthotron” Series I (LA1 at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital) between 1957 and 9/9/1983 is listed below; taken from personal communication. The number of patients…
Radium treatments of lesions
The following notes for the treatment of lesions using radium (beginning 1928 in Queensland) are taken from KM Hoffman’s The History of the Queensland Cancer Trust and the Queensland Radium Institute. Radium was most frequently used for surface lesions: Most…
Megavoltage treatment introduction in Australia
Australia was one of the first nations to utilise MV radiation therapy equipment, with three among the first dozen clinical linear accelerators being installed in Australia in 1956 and 1957 (Thwaites and Tuohy, 2006). The number of MV teletherapy systems…
Past RBWH treatment systems
The tables below list treatment units at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital prior to 2003; as transcribed from handwritten equipment records. Megavoltage treatment units Prior to 2003, these units were located in Block 8B (LA1 + LA2) and Block…
Miss Helen Farran
Miss Helen Elizabeth Anne Farran (B.Sc) succeeded Miss Dorothy Wellington (described here), the first clinical physicist in Australia, at the Melbourne Hospital. In 1947 Miss Farran was one of the trainers for a one year Radiotherapy course conducted at the Melbourne…
Radiotherapy in Australia: Pre-1900
The discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895 prompted excitement around the world, including in Australia. The therapeutic application of “Röntgen rays” was explored almost immediately – here are the milestones of those early years in Australia. References Bailey…
Miss Dorothy Wellington
In 1977, Dr. Rutherford Kaye Scott presented the first Sir Peter MacCallum Lecture at the opening of the new wing of the Peter MacCallum Hospital in Melbourne, which was published with the title “The Radiant Years” in Australasian Radiology (vol….
Historical Gammasonics advertisements
The following advertisements were taken from personal scans of Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine issues published in 1989 and 1990. Gammasonics provided (and continues to provide) equipment for medical physics departments.
Radiotherapy of Benign Disease
Radiation therapy was once widely used in the treatment of benign diseases. Leer et al (1996) reported that in 1948, at the Rotterdam Radiotherapeutic Institute, 3348 benign disorders were irradiated compared with 857 malignant tumours. Early therapeutic applications of radiation in Australia included the treatment…
You must be logged in to post a comment.