Intracranial and Spinal Radiotherapy


Book Description

This book is a practical, up-to-date guide to the treatment of patients with brain and spinal tumors. Leading experts in the field explain treatment techniques in detail, highlighting key considerations in the use of external beam radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, particle therapy, radiosurgery, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Specific recommendations are described for different tumor types, and helpful information provided on other important issues, such as the interaction of radiotherapy and systemic therapy and the avoidance of treatment complications. With the development of modern technology, highly conformal radiotherapy techniques have become more complicated, yet also more widely employed. This book will equip readers with the knowledge required to set up practices to deliver quality brain and spinal radiation therapy appropriate to each patient. It will be of benefit to radiation oncologists, clinical oncologists, medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and senior nurses as well as medical oncologists and surgical oncologists with an interest in radiotherapy.




Intracranial Germ Cell Tumors


Book Description

Intracranial germ cell tumors are a group of uncommon neoplasms of the central nervous system. The clinical features and natural history of these lesions are quite unique and variable. While intracranial germ cell tumors have been a fascination to neurooncologists for decades, the relatively small number of patients seen in any single institution has hampered the important clinical investigation that is so needed. This text is complete with detailed information concerning the epidemiology, pathology, oncological biology, clinical findings, radiology, and treatment options including surgical strategy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for this heterogeneous group of neoplasms. The ongoing clinical trials concerning the optimization of therapy are efficiently summarized. An important final segment addresses the late sequelae of therapy which is of great significance since the majority suffering from these tumors are young patients. This first and only book on intracranial germ cell tumors includes excellent and comprehensive data sheets, illustrations, and radiograms. It provides a detailed and outstanding reference source for physicians taking care of patients with intracranial germ cell tumors, and will be a very welcome edition to their reference libraries.




Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery


Book Description

In this third edition of Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Drs. Sheehan and Lunsford provide an updated assessment of the practice of stereotactic radiosurgery. Topics include benign and malignant tumors, cerebrovascular abnormalities, and functional disorders. Several new topics are now included and focus on immunotherapy, hypofractionation, and repeat radiosurgery. Each chapter contains key figures and tables to illustrate the critical concepts of the work. Contributors to the book represent many of the most prestigious stereotactic radiosurgery centers across the world. This book is comprised of 36 chapters and represents a comprehensive update to prior editions. It is intended to be a readable, credible, and accessible reference on stereotactic radiosurgery. Editors Jason Sheehan, MD, PhD, FACS, FAANS, is the Vice Chair and Harrison Distinguished Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Virginia (UVA). He also serves as the Neurosciences Service Line Director at UVA. Dr. Sheehan is the current chair of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Tumors. He serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Neuro-Oncology. L. Dade Lunsford, MD, serves as the Lars Leksell Professor and Distinguished Professor at the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also director of the Center for Image-Guided Neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and an internationally recognized authority on stereotactic surgery, radiosurgery, and minimally invasive surgery. He has authored or coauthored more than 1,000 scientific reports and 16 books.




Oncologic Emergencies


Book Description

This new resource on managing oncologic emergencies is directed at all health care professionals who care for patients with cancer or survivors. Edited and written by clinician-experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the book covers the full range of oncologic emergencies, from cardiac and neurologic to orthopedic to hematologic, and addresses important palliative care, ethical, and Emergency Department considerations. Chapters are structured with busy clinicians in emergent and urgent settings in mind, and each chapter concludes with a series of key practice points and a list of suggested readings for those who wish to delve deeper into a subject. For any clinician facing the increasing number of patients who experience an oncologic emergency, this is an up-to-date, clinically focused, and authoritative resource.




Image-Guided Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery


Book Description

The recent development of hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT), which calls for one to five fractions of high-dose radiation to be administered using special equipment, has resulted in the need for education on practice guidelines. Image-Guided Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery: A Practical Approach to Guide Treatment of B




Re-Irradiation: New Frontiers


Book Description

This book, now in its second edition, provides a comprehensive overview of current re-irradiation strategies, with detailed discussion of re-irradiation methods, technical aspects, the role of combined therapy with anticancer drugs and hyperthermia, and normal tissue tolerance. In addition, disease specific chapters document recent clinical results and future research directions. All chapters from the first edition have been revised and updated to take account of the latest developments and research findings, including those from prospective studies. Due attention is paid to the exciting developments in the fields of proton irradiation and frameless image-guided ablative radiotherapy. The book documents fully how refined combined modality approaches and significant technical advances in radiation treatment planning and delivery have facilitated the re-irradiation of previously exposed volumes, allowing both palliative and curative approaches to be pursued at various disease sites. Professionals involved in radiation treatment planning and multimodal oncology treatment will find it to be an invaluable aid in understanding the benefits and limitations of re-irradiation and in designing prospective trials.




Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy


Book Description

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as an important innovative treatment for various primary and metastatic cancers. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the physical/technological, biological, and clinical aspects of SBRT. It will serve as a detailed resource for this rapidly developing treatment modality. The organ sites covered include lung, liver, spine, pancreas, prostate, adrenal, head and neck, and female reproductive tract. Retrospective studies and prospective clinical trials on SBRT for various organ sites from around the world are examined, and toxicities and normal tissue constraints are discussed. This book features unique insights from world-renowned experts in SBRT from North America, Asia, and Europe. It will be necessary reading for radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents and fellows, medical physicists, medical physics residents, medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and cancer scientists.




Clinical Neuroradiology


Book Description

This superbly illustrated textbook, endorsed by the European Society of Neuroradiology, explains in detail the clinical importance of neuroradiology in complementing history taking and physical examination during the workup of patients suspected of having neurological, neurosurgical, or psychiatric disorders. The role of imaging of the brain and spinal cord is described across the full range of relevant conditions, including, for example, cerebrovascular diseases, trauma, CSF disorders, developmental malformations, autoimmune diseases, epilepsy, tumors and tumor-like conditions, neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic conditions, and bipolar and depressive disorders. The structured approach to imaging and image analysis will ensure that the book is an invaluable resource for neuroradiologists in training and clinicians alike. Starting from the clinical indication, suggestions for imaging protocols are provided and checklists of common findings and aspects key to interpretation are presented. The book is published within the SpringerReference program, which combines thorough coverage with access to living editions constantly updated via a dynamic peer-review process.




Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum


Book Description

Since the late 1960s, the survival rate in children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer has steadily improved, with a corresponding decline in the cancer-specific death rate. Although the improvements in survival are encouraging, they have come at the cost of acute, chronic, and late adverse effects precipitated by the toxicities associated with the individual or combined use of different types of treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). In some cases, the impairments resulting from cancer and its treatment are severe enough to qualify a child for U.S. Social Security Administration disability benefits. At the request of Social Security Administration, Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum provides current information and findings and conclusions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of selected childhood cancers, including different types of malignant solid tumors, and the effect of those cancers on childrenâ (TM)s health and functional capacity, including the relative levels of functional limitation typically associated with the cancers and their treatment. This report also provides a summary of selected treatments currently being studied in clinical trials and identifies any limitations on the availability of these treatments, such as whether treatments are available only in certain geographic areas.