Over the past two decades, there has been a significant evolution in the technologies and techniques employed within the radiation oncology environment. Over the same period, extensive research into the use of nanotechnology in medicine has highlighted a range of potential benefits to its incorporation into clinical radiation oncology. This short communication describes key tools and techniques that have recently been introduced into specific stages of a patient’s radiotherapy pathway, including diagnosis, external beam treatment and subsequent follow-up. At each pathway stage, consideration is given towards how nanotechnology may be combined with clinical developments to further enhance their benefit, with some potential opportunities for future research also highlighted. Prospective challenges that may influence the introduction of nanotechnology into clinical radiotherapy are also discussed, indicating the need for close collaboration between academic and clinical staff to realise the full clinical benefit of this exciting technology.

中文翻译：

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外束放射肿瘤学当前实践的概述，考虑到纳米技术的潜在益处和挑战。

在过去的二十年中，放射肿瘤学环境中采用的技术和技术发生了重大变化。在同一时期，对纳米技术在医学中的应用的广泛研究强调了将其纳入临床放射肿瘤学的一系列潜在好处。这篇简短的交流介绍了最近被引入患者放射治疗路径特定阶段的关键工具和技术，包括诊断、外照射治疗和后续随访。在每个途径阶段，都会考虑如何将纳米技术与临床开发相结合，以进一步提高其益处，同时还强调了未来研究的一些潜在机会。