Use of radiation in medicine - ISS (EN)

The optimization of the use of radiation in medicine is involved in the study of the radiobiological efficacy of radiation beams of clinical interest; analyzing the effects of low doses and variable dose rates and exposure risk mitigation; in the identification of metabolic tumor markers to personalize radiation therapies; in the characterization of imaging devices and dose release systems for hadrontherapy (accelerators).

The results of this research allow the implementation of quality assurance programs within the National Health Service (SSN) in radiotherapy, radiodiagnostics, interventional radiology, nuclear medicine (radioisotopes and detectors) and teleradiology.

Radiation Protection in Medical Fields is developed as Guarantee Program implementation in Structures of National Health Services in agreement with requirements of EURATOM Directive for patient radiation protection. Study Groups Coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) are set up, involving professionals from all Scientific Societies in radiological field (radiotherapy (RT) (from Conventional RT  to Radiotherapy with adrons) Radiodiagnostics, Interventional Radiology and Nuclear Medicine) to develop reccomendations on critical issues in radiological sciences. Education and training together with clinical audit are also conducted by ISS. Participation to European Project OPERRA, EJP CONCERT and MEDIRAD  and Ministry of health Projects (OPRORA) INAIL Project are the main result of this wide field of QA activity.