Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Due to the rapid progress of treatment equipment, radiotherapy has become possible to treat with high dose concentration and high biological effect (cell killing effect). By using these new radiotherapy devices, the results of radiotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer have improved and the indications have expanded in recent years. Pancreatic cancer, on the other hand, is located near many radiation-sensitive organs such as the stomach and duodenum and is a highly radioresistant disease, and the role and indications of radiotherapy have long been debated and are still present under investigation. The life-prolonging effect of radiotherapy has not yet been clearly demonstrated, but it has been shown to lead to improved local control. In this chapter, we will introduce radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer, focusing on the heavy-ion radiotherapy that we are performing.