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DJR 51-4B: Re-Evaluating the a/B Ratio in 2026: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Reappraisal in the Era of Molecular Radiobiology

Course Details

MDCB Credits: 2.50

ARRT Credits: 0.75

Available Until: 10/31/2028

Non-Member Price: $87.50

Member Price: $50.00

Member PLUS Price: $50.00

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Authors: Noureddine Samai, MD∗,1, Aymen Berremdani, MD†

∗ Department of Radiation Oncology, Oran University 1, Oran, Algeria
† IMB—Institut de Mathématiques de Bourgogne, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France

The linear-quadratic (LQ) model and its derived ratio, α/β, have served as the cornerstone of radiotherapy dose-fractionation decisions. The period from 2015 to 2026 has witnessed a substantial re-evaluation of this paradigm, driven by the clinical success of hypofractionation in prostate and breast cancer, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and radiogenomics. A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted to evaluate quantitative estimates of α/β derived from clinical and preclinical studies over the last decade, updating classical assumptions using modern trial data. Extensive Phase III data in prostate cancer consistently de?ne an α/β of 1.2 to 2.0 Gy. Microscopic models in breast cancer align with an α/β of ∼2.7 Gy. Conversely, lung SBRT data present a high modeled α/β driven by hypoxia artifacts. Genomic integration via the Genomic Adjusted Radiation Dose (GARD) reveals that α/β operates as a dynamic, patient-speci?c phenotype. In the molecular era, static α/β assumptions must be integrated with disease-speci?c kinetics, microenvironmental data, and genomic intrinsic radiosensitivity.

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