Abstract
Most calculations of the biological effect of radiation on tumours assume that the clonogenic cell density is uniform even if account is taken of non-uniform dose distribution. In practice tumours will almost certainly have a non-uniform clonogenic cell density. The paper extends one particular model of tumour control probability (TCP) to incorporate a variable clonogenic cell density while at the same time assuming a constant 2 Gy fraction size and a uniform radiosensitivity throughout the treatment. Since there are virtually no in vivo data on the variation of density the authors consider some model situations. One clear conclusion is that a large reduction in clonogenic cell density at the edges of a tumour would permit only a very modest decrease in dose if the TCP is not to be reduced. In general the effect on TCP is a complicated function of the variation in both dose and clonogenic cell density. The authors give the equations which enable both to be included.