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The first paper of a series of three publications briefly presents the characteristics a proton beam, as well as the information of companies producing noncommercial techniques for photon and proton therapies. The following second and third parts will briefly consider the clinical and economic efficiency of proton versus photon radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer patients and prospects for its development in oncological practice.

Objective. To study and analyze the significance of the degree and possibility of surgical resection of a brainstem tumor in children and adolescents on the results of treatment in relation to various prognostic factors.Material and methods. This investigation enrolled 102 children with a brainstem tumor. A morphological study was not performed because of the location of the tumor and the inability to perform a surgical intervention. The patients’ mean age was 7.1 ± 3.4 years. The results of the study were assessed in terms of overall cumulative survival rates.Results. Primary chemoradiotherapy was performed in 52 of the 102 patients; 50 children underwent repeat chemoradiotherapy. In the entire group, 89 (87%) patients received no surgical treatment; while subtotal resection or ventriculoperitoneal bypass surgery (VBS) could be done in 13 (13%) children; the median follow-up of the entire group was 19.2 weeks. In the study groups, the statistical differences in overall survival rates were significant (Log-Rank p = 0.044).Conclusion. Regardless of primary or repeat radiotherapy and chemotherapy, surgical intervention, including VBS in children and adolescents, significantly affects overall survival rates.

The paper gives historical information on the foundation and establishment of the Russian X-Radiology Research Center, as well as the advances that have been fundamental in the further clinical, scientific, and educational activities of the center.It details information of the recent advances of the center in diagnosis, including radiation, clinical and molecular gene, and combined treatments for cancer patients, including surgery, polychemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The achievements of each subdivisions of the Center are given.The paper shows the latest advances of the Center and its workers in researches, which have been embodied in their dissertations, monographs, and guides.Of great importance is the educational process the Center’s workers are successfully doing in, by training specialists of different profile.