Radio luminescence optical fibre sensors are gaining importance since these devices are promising in several applications like high\nenergy physics, particle tracking, real-time monitoring of radiation beams, and radioactive waste. Silica optical fibres play an\nimportant role thanks to their high radiation hardness. Moreover, rare earths may be incorporated to optimise the scintillation\nproperties (emission spectrum, decay time) according to the particular application. This makes doped silica optical fibres a very\nversatile tool for the detection of ionizing radiation in many contexts. Among the fields of application of optical fibre sensors,\nradiation therapy represents a driving force for the research and development of new devices. In this review the recent progresses\nin the development of rare earth doped silica fibres for dosimetry in the medical field are described. After a general description\nof advantages and challenges for the use of optical fibre based dosimeter during radiation therapy treatment and diagnostic\nirradiations, the features of the incorporation of rare earths in the silica matrix in order to prepare radio luminescent optical fibre\nsensors are presented and discussed. In the last part of this paper, recent results obtained by using cerium, europium, and ytterbium\ndoped silica optical fibres in radiation therapy applications are reviewed.
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