We are pleased to present the second issue of volume six of the Journal of Radiotherapy in Practice. We are pleased to report that this journal continues to receive an increase in readership and in submitted papers. This journal has a new website address (www.journals.cambridge.org/jrp). This enhances accessibility and readership around the world; the site also provides easily accessible instructions for contributors.
Currently in the UK, cancer research is receiving increased media attention as the National Cancer Institute has committed several millions of pounds targeted at radiotherapy and radiobiology research. In our guest editorial, Dr Gillian Heap, the Research Manager for the Academic Clinical Oncology and Radiobiology Research Network (ACORRN) launched in 2005, details the important progress this network has made in the revitalisation of radiotherapy and radiobiology research in the UK.
In the first article, Sarah Roels et al., from the Leuven Cancer Institute, Belgium, present their results of the analysis of two different set-up verification and correction procedures in pelvic irradiation for rectal cancer patients treated on a belly-board device.
In the second article, Mark McJury et al., from the Department of Clinical Oncology, Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK, undertook a clinical and economic analysis on 260 patients and present data to identify specific patient groups for whom conventional simulation may be completely eliminated and replaced by virtual simulation.
In the next article, Cathryne Palmer and Natassia Naccarato from the Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada,report on their study which set out to determine and compare the perceptions of the most and the least important clinical teaching characteristics as identified by radiation therapy staff and students in the clinical environment.
In the fourth article, Nadia Walsh from the Medical Physics Department at the Cromwell Hospital, London and Ade Fleet from Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK, evaluate the evidence base for the use of temozolomide as a radiosensitiser for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.
In the final article, Emma King from the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK presents her research and evaluates the content and readability of Websites for those radiotherapy departments in the UK that have one. Emma outlines the growing expectations that cancer patients have who wish to access good quality information about their disease and treatment options.
We are grateful to Federico Ampil, Department of Radiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Louisiana, USA for providing a short communication outlining the clinical evidence contributing to the debate around combined therapy for thyroid carcinoma invading the esophagus.
To complete this issue, Charlotte Walker, from Princess Royal Hospital, Hull, UK, undertakes a review of a new publication: Image-Guided IMRT. Bortfield T, Schmidt-Ulrich R, De Neve W and Wazer DE (eds.) Springer-Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany 2006.
