Para entender todos os aspectos subjacentes ao texto do artigo publicado na edição do Expresso de 8 de Novembro de 2008, intitulado ‘Estado acusado de dificultar radioterapia ’, é essencial conhecer o que aconteceu no nosso país nos últimos anos e que a este assunto diz respeito.

No ano de 2002 existiam em Portugal 27 aparelhos para radioterapia externa, número marcadamente insuficiente para as necessidades apontadas de 5 a 6 equipamentos por milhão de habitantes.

Extracto de artigo do site MedicalPhysics.web

Regardless of the specific event considered the starting point for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), it's safe to say that the technique has been around for more than ten years. How can it be, then, that in 2009 one writes an article examining how "IMRT can become routine"? 

About a trial reported by Patchell et al.

A total of 101 patients with spinal cord compression caused by metastatic cancer were randomized to undergo either surgery followed by adjuvant radiation therapy (n = 50) or radiation therapy alone (n = 51). Radiotherapy for both groups consisted of 10 fractions of 300 cGy each. The primary endpoint was the ability to walk.