Serbian C++ User Group

The clinical execution of external beam radiation therapy functions as a multi-stage systems pipeline, governed by sequential physical processes and continuous quality-assurance feedback. As radiation oncology has moved from simple two-dimensional dose lookups to high-resolution 3D volumetric imaging, model-based dose engines, and multi-leaf collimation, it has become an increasingly data-intensive and computationally demanding discipline. Yet the algorithmic foundations of this workflow remain largely siloed within medical physics literature, obscuring direct links to classical computer science.

This lecture provides an interdisciplinary bridge between oncology, radiation physics, and theoretical computer science. By mapping each sequential stage of the clinical radiotherapy workflow — from patient intake to plan validation — onto classical data structures and algorithms (DSA), we demonstrate how the foundational concepts of standard computer science curricula drive life-saving clinical systems.