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.




Surface Guided Radiation Therapy


Book Description

Surface Guided Radiation Therapy provides a comprehensive overview of optical surface image guidance systems for radiation therapy. It serves as an introductory teaching resource for students and trainees, and a valuable reference for medical physicists, physicians, radiation therapists, and administrators who wish to incorporate surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT) into their clinical practice. This is the first book dedicated to the principles and practice of SGRT, featuring: Chapters authored by an internationally represented list of physicists, radiation oncologists and therapists, edited by pioneers and experts in SGRT Covering the evolution of localization systems and their role in quality and safety, current SGRT systems, practical guides to commissioning and quality assurance, clinical applications by anatomic site, and emerging topics including skin mark-less setups. Several dedicated chapters on SGRT for intracranial radiosurgery and breast, covering technical aspects, risk assessment and outcomes. Jeremy Hoisak, PhD, DABR is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Hoisak’s clinical expertise includes radiosurgery and respiratory motion management. Adam Paxton, PhD, DABR is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Utah. Dr. Paxton’s clinical expertise includes patient safety, motion management, radiosurgery, and proton therapy. Benjamin Waghorn, PhD, DABR is the Director of Clinical Physics at Vision RT. Dr. Waghorn’s research interests include intensity modulated radiation therapy, motion management, and surface image guidance systems. Todd Pawlicki, PhD, DABR, FAAPM, FASTRO, is Professor and Vice-Chair for Medical Physics in the Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Pawlicki has published extensively on quality and safety in radiation therapy. He has served on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Radiology Oncology (ASTRO) and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM).




Proton Therapy Physics


Book Description

Proton Therapy Physics goes beyond current books on proton therapy to provide an in-depth overview of the physics aspects of this radiation therapy modality, eliminating the need to dig through information scattered in the medical physics literature. After tracing the history of proton therapy, the book summarizes the atomic and nuclear physics background necessary for understanding proton interactions with tissue. It describes the physics of proton accelerators, the parameters of clinical proton beams, and the mechanisms to generate a conformal dose distribution in a patient. The text then covers detector systems and measuring techniques for reference dosimetry, outlines basic quality assurance and commissioning guidelines, and gives examples of Monte Carlo simulations in proton therapy. The book moves on to discussions of treatment planning for single- and multiple-field uniform doses, dose calculation concepts and algorithms, and precision and uncertainties for nonmoving and moving targets. It also examines computerized treatment plan optimization, methods for in vivo dose or beam range verification, the safety of patients and operating personnel, and the biological implications of using protons from a physics perspective. The final chapter illustrates the use of risk models for common tissue complications in treatment optimization. Along with exploring quality assurance issues and biological considerations, this practical guide collects the latest clinical studies on the use of protons in treatment planning and radiation monitoring. Suitable for both newcomers in medical physics and more seasoned specialists in radiation oncology, the book helps readers understand the uncertainties and limitations of precisely shaped dose distribution.




Khan's The Physics of Radiation Therapy


Book Description

Expand your understanding of the physics and practical clinical applications of advanced radiation therapy technologies with Khan's The Physics of Radiation Therapy, 5th edition, the book that set the standard in the field. This classic full-color text helps the entire radiation therapy team—radiation oncologists, medical physicists, dosimetrists, and radiation therapists—develop a thorough understanding of 3D conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), high dose-rate remote afterloaders (HDR), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), and proton beam therapy, as well as the physical concepts underlying treatment planning, treatment delivery, and dosimetry. In preparing this new Fifth Edition, Dr. Kahn and new co-author Dr. John Gibbons made chapter-by-chapter revisions in the light of the latest developments in the field, adding new discussions, a new chapter, and new color illustrations throughout. Now even more precise and relevant, this edition is ideal as a reference book for practitioners, a textbook for students, and a constant companion for those preparing for their board exams. Features Stay on top of the latest advances in the field with new sections and/or discussions of Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), and the Failure Mode Event Analysis (FMEA) approach to quality assurance. Deepen your knowledge of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) through a completely new chapter that covers SBRT in greater detail. Expand your visual understanding with new full color illustrations that reflect current practice and depict new procedures. Access the authoritative information you need fast through the new companion website which features fully searchable text and an image bank for greater convenience in studying and teaching. This is the tablet version which does not include access to the supplemental content mentioned in the text.




Principles and Practice of Stereotactic Radiosurgery


Book Description

Principles and Practice of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Second Edition serves as the definitive reference textbook for SRS practitioners. It provides a theoretical basis for the use of therapeutic radiation including imaging techniques and radiobiology. The bulk of the textbook contains chapters that are comprehensive in scope on all diseases that are treated by SRS. Lastly, it addresses administrative and technical aspects of running an SRS unit. Each chapter provides an expansive treatment of the subject, with emphasis placed on the technical aspects of SRS so that practitioners in this field can use it as a daily reference. Written by noted experts in the field, Principles and Practice of Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Second Edition is the only reference needed for neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and medical physicists at all levels of training and practice who are interested in SRS.




Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy


Book Description

Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy is an up-to-date guide to using proton and carbon ion therapy in modern cancer treatment. The book covers the physics and radiobiology basics of proton and ion beams, dosimetry methods and radiation measurements, and treatment delivery systems. It gives practical guidance on patient setup, target localization, and treatment planning for clinical proton and carbon ion therapy. The text also offers detailed reports on the treatment of pediatric cancers, lymphomas, and various other cancers. After an overview, the book focuses on the fundamental aspects of proton and carbon ion therapy equipment, including accelerators, gantries, and delivery systems. It then discusses dosimetry, biology, imaging, and treatment planning basics and provides clinical guidelines on the use of proton and carbon ion therapy for the treatment of specific cancers. Suitable for anyone involved with medical physics and radiation therapy, this book offers a balanced and critical assessment of state-of-the-art technologies, major challenges, and the future outlook of proton and carbon ion therapy. It presents a thorough introduction for those new to the field while providing a helpful, up-to-date reference for readers already using the therapy in clinical settings.




Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy


Book Description

This book serves as a practical guide for the use of carbon ions in cancer radiotherapy. On the basis of clinical experience with more than 7,000 patients with various types of tumors treated over a period of nearly 20 years at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, step-by-step procedures and technological development of this modality are highlighted. The book is divided into two sections, the first covering the underlying principles of physics and biology, and the second section is a systematic review by tumor site, concentrating on the role of therapeutic techniques and the pitfalls in treatment planning. Readers will learn of the superior outcomes obtained with carbon-ion therapy for various types of tumors in terms of local control and toxicities. It is essential to understand that the carbon-ion beam is like a two-edged sword: unless it is used properly, it can increase the risk of severe injury to critical organs. In early series of dose-escalation studies, some patients experienced serious adverse effects such as skin ulcers, pneumonitis, intestinal ulcers, and bone necrosis, for which salvage surgery or hospitalization was required. To preclude such detrimental results, the adequacy of therapeutic techniques and dose fractionations was carefully examined in each case. In this way, significant improvements in treatment results have been achieved and major toxicities are no longer observed. With that knowledge, experts in relevant fields expand upon techniques for treatment delivery at each anatomical site, covering indications and optimal treatment planning. With its practical focus, this book will benefit radiation oncologists, medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and senior nurses whose work involves radiation therapy, as well as medical oncologists and others who are interested in radiation therapy.




New Technologies in Radiation Oncology


Book Description

- Summarizes the state of the art in the most relevant areas of medical physics and engineering applied to radiation oncology - Covers all relevant areas of the subject in detail, including 3D imaging and image processing, 3D treatment planning, modern treatment techniques, patient positioning, and aspects of verification and quality assurance - Conveys information in a readily understandable way that will appeal to professionals and students with a medical background as well as to newcomers to radiation oncology from the field of physics




Proton Therapy


Book Description

Over the past twenty-five years, proton therapy has become more prominent worldwide. It is an important component of clinical radiation therapy for both adult and pediatric clinical care. Due to the inherent ability of protons to spare normal tissue, protons will continue to develop and become increasingly important in radiation oncology. As such, Proton Therapy - Current Status and Future Directions reviews many aspects of proton care including the application of protons in modern clinical trials. It also reviews problems associated with the migration of proton care worldwide and examines the future direction of proton care. This project was created by colleagues at IntechOpen and was carefully managed by Romina Rovan. It has been a privilege to help coordinate the text and chapters designed to acknowledge the history, footprint, and growing interest of proton care worldwide. Proton management is now embedded in the clinical trials process. In pediatric care, proton delivery is embedded with photons for the management of pediatric malignancies and adult groups have initiated proton-specific clinical trials. A proton registry has been established and outcomes are under evaluation. Due to the inherent ability of protons to spare normal tissue, protons will continue to develop and become increasingly important in radiation oncology.




Image-Guided Cancer Therapy


Book Description

Image-Guided Cancer Therapy: A Multidisciplinary Approach provides clinicians with in-depth coverage of the growing, dynamic field of interventional oncology. Combining the knowledge of expert editors and authors into one powerhouse reference, this book looks at tumor ablation, HIFU, embolic therapies, emerging technologies, and radiation therapy throughout the body (liver, bone, breast, gynecologic and prostate cancers, to name just a few) , and includes discussion of different imaging modalities. In the words of Peter Mueller, MD, author of the book’s Foreword: “... The senior authors are all world renowned experts in interventional oncology, which is another example of the high quality authorship and experience that is brought to this book. The later chapters discuss therapies that are simply not covered in any other source. Everyone who is doing or wants to do ablation therapies and interventional oncology will face a time when they will be asked to use their expertise in less used and less investigated areas. There is nowhere else where the reader can get information on the prostate, breast, and gynecologic areas, and especially pediatrics....This book is an outstanding contribution to the literature and will become a ‘must read’ for all physicians who are interested in Interventional Oncology.”