Point/Counterpoint - 2013 - FREE

TG-142 is unwarranted for IGRT QA

Scott Dube, M.S., Jennifer O'Daniel, Ph.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

DASSIM-RT is likely to become the method of choice over conventional IMRT and VMAT for delivery of highly conformal radiotherapy

Lei Xing, Ph.D., Mark H. Phillips, Ph.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Therapeutic rather than diagnostic medical physicists should lead the development and clinical implementation of image-guided nonionizing therapeutic modalities such as MR-guided high-intensity ultrasound

Wolfgang A. Tomé, Ph.D., R. Jason Stafford, Ph.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Physicists who are responsible for high-tech radiotherapy procedures should have to be specially credentialed

Brian D. Kavanagh, MD, Geoffrey S. Ibbott, Ph.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

It is not appropriate to “deform” dose along with deformable image registration in adaptive radiotherapy

Timothy E. Schultheiss, Ph.D., Wolfgang A. Tomé, Ph.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Computer-aided detection should be used routinely to assist screening mammogram interpretation

Robert M. Nishikawa, Ph.D., Joshua J. Fenton, M.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Backscatter x-ray machines at airports are safe

Elif Hindié, M.D., Ph.D., David J. Brenner, Ph.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Recent data show that mammographic screening of asymptomatic women is effective and essential

Marcia C. Javitt, M.D., R. Edward Hendrick, Ph.D., John D. Keen, M.D., Karsten Juhl Jørgensen, M.D., and Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

The professions of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering should be combined into a single profession “Clinical Science and Technology”

Wilhelm J. M. van der Putten, Ph.D., Chadd E. Smith, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

The use of bismuth breast shields for CT should be discouraged

Cynthia H. McCollough, Ph.D., Jia Wang, Ph.D., Robert G. Gould, Sc.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

We do not need randomized clinical trials to demonstrate the superiority of proton therapy

Hideyuki Sakurai, W. Robert Lee, Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

The 2014 initiative can have potentially unintended negative consequences for medical physics in diagnostic imaging and nuclear medicine

Ehsan Samei, Ph.D., Terry M. Button, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Vendor provided machine data should never be used as a substitute for fully commissioning a linear accelerator

Indra J. Das, Ph.D., Christopher F. Njeh, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Medical Physics residency programs in nonacademic facilities should affiliate themselves with a university-based program

Jatinder Saini, M.S., Jason R. Sherman, M.S., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Tumor hypoxia is an important mechanism of radioresistance in hypofractionated radiotherapy and must be considered in the treatment planning process

David J. Carlson, Ph.D., Kamil M. Yenice, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

QA procedures in radiation therapy are outdated and negatively impact the reduction of errors

Howard Ira Amols, Ph.D., Eric E. Klein, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

The 2014 initiative is not only unnecessary but it constitutes a threat to the future of medical physics

Gary D. Fullerton, Ph.D., Kenneth N. Vanek, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Pulsed reduced dose rate radiation therapy is likely to become the treatment modality of choice for recurrent cancers

C.-M. Charlie Ma, Ph.D., Gary Luxton, Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

Medical physics graduate programs should adjust enrollment to achieve equilibrium between graduates and residents

John E. Bayouth, Ph.D., Jay W. Burmeister, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

High intensity focused ultrasound may be superior to radiation therapy for the treatment of early stage prostate cancer

Stanley H. Benedict, Ph.D., Gert De Meerleer, M.D., Ph.D. , Colin G. Orton, Ph.D. and Joseph Stancanello, Ph.D., Moderator

The adoption of new technology in radiation oncology should rely on evidence-based medicine

Christopher F. Njeh, Christian M. Langton, Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

All graduate medical physics programs should have an original research component

David W. O. Rogers, Janelle A. Molloy, Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

The terminal M.S. degree is no longer appropriate for students interested in a career in clinical medical physics in the United States

Michael D. Mills, Ph.D., Howard R. Elson, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

PDT is better than alternative therapies such as brachytherapy, electron beams, or low-energy x rays for the treatment of skin cancers

Timothy C. Zhu, Ph.D., E. Ishmael Parsai, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator

It is STILL necessary to validate each individual IMRT treatment plan with dosimetric measurements before delivery

J. Charles Smith, M.S., Sonja Dieterich, Ph.D., Colin G. Orton, Ph.D., Moderator