Handbook of Radiotherapy Physics: Theory and Practice » (New Edition)

From background physics and biological models to the latest imaging and treatment modalities, the Handbook of Radiotherapy Physics: Theory and Practice covers all theoretical and practical aspects of radiotherapy physics.

In this comprehensive reference, each part focuses on a major area of radiotherapy, beginning with an introduction by the editors and then subdividing into self-contained chapters. The first three parts present the fundamentals of the underlying physics, radiobiology, and technology involved. The ensuing sections discuss the support requirements of external beam radiotherapy, such as dose measurements, properties of clinical beams, patient dose computation, treatment planning, and quality assurance, followed by a part that explores exciting new advances that include developments in photon and particle therapy. Subsequent sections examine brachytherapy using sealed and unsealed sources and provide the framework of radiation protection, including an appendix that describes the detailed application of UK legislation. The final part contains handy tables of both physical constants and attenuation data.

To achieve safe and effective radiotherapy, there needs to be a close understanding among various disciplines. With contributions from renowned specialists, the Handbook of Radiotherapy Physics: Theory and Practice provides essential theoretical and practical knowledge for medical physicists, researchers, radiation oncologists, and radiation technologists.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Niko Papanikolaou, PhD(University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio)
Description:This handbook lives up to its title, covering most of the pertinent topics in modern radiotherapy in its 13 sections. The editors have done a great job of unifying the style and flow of information among chapters that are written by several contributors. An impressive collection of reference data, spanning over 90 pages, ends the book.
Purpose:It is intended as a desktop reference for radiotherapy physics. This well written book maintains a good balance between practical description of concepts and their theoretical foundation. Ample figures, tables, and mathematical formulas complement the text and enable readers to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.
Audience:The book is intended primarily for practicing medical physicists and graduate students in radiation therapy physics who wish to have a concise, yet content rich reference. However, it is also a useful accompaniment to any of the classic radiotherapy books used for medical residency, dosimetry, and radiation technology training programs.
Features:Each of the 13 sections has between three and eight chapters and ends with a rich bibliography that makes it easier for readers to retrieve references that are specific to a certain aspect of radiation therapy physics. Although most of the classic and modern topics in radiotherapy are covered, I would have liked to see a bit more on IGRT and possibly another chapter on PET and PET-CT imaging for radiotherapy, as well as some of the other imaging and localization modalities such as ultrasound.
Assessment:There are several books in radiation therapy physics, but this is the first handbook. The editors have managed, with great success, to assemble information submitted by a number of contributing authors and put it in a format that is concise, easy to read, and rich in content. Although this is not a replacement for a textbook in radiation therapy, it can serve as an excellent reference manual and resource.

Preface

FUNDAMENTALS Structure of Matter Radioactivity Interaction of Charged Particles with Matter Interactions of Photons with Matter The Monte Carlo Simulation of Radiation Transport Principles and Basic Concepts in Radiation Dosimetry

RADIOBIOLOGY Radiobiology of Tumors Radiobiology of Normal Tissues Dose Fractionation in Radiotherapy

EQUIPMENT Kilovoltage X-Ray Units Linear Accelerators Cobalt Machines Simulators Portal Imaging Devices

DOSE MEASUREMENT Ionisation Chambers Radiothermoluminescent Dosimeters and Diodes Radiation Sensitive Films and Gels Absolute Dose Determination under Reference Conditions Relative Dose Measurements and Commissioning

CLINICAL BEAMS From Measurements to Calculations Kilovoltage X-Rays Megavoltage Photon Beams Manual Dose Calculations in Photon Beams Electron Beams

PATIENT DOSE COMPUTATION METHODS Principles of Patient Dose Computation Patient Dose Computation for Photon Beams Patient Dose Computation for Electron Beams Monte-Carlo Based Patient Dose Computation

TREATMENT PLANNING Target Definition Patient Data Acquisition Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging in Treatment Planning Beam Definition - Virtual Simulation Photon-Beam Treatment Planning Techniques Electron-Beam Treatment Planning Techniques Dose Evaluation of Treatment Plans Biological Evaluation of Treatment Plans

QUALITY ASSURANCE Rationale and Management of the Quality System Quality Control of Megavoltage Equipment Quality Assurance of the Treatment Planning Process Quality Control of Treatment Delivery Recording and Verification - Networking Data Communication with DICOM

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES Conformal and Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Intensity-Modulation Therapy: Practical Aspects Stereotactic Techniques Proton Beams in Radiotherapy Total Body Irradiation (TBI)
Total Skin Electron Irradiation High LET Modalities

BRACHYTHERAPY Clinical Introduction to Brachytherapy Calibration and Quality Assurance of Brachytherapy Sources Afterloading Equipment for Brachytherapy Dose Calculation for Brachytherapy Sources Brachytherapy Treatment Planning Radiobiology of Brachytherapy

THERAPY WITH UNSEALED SOURCES Dosimetry of Unsealed Sources Radionuclide Selection for Unsealed Source Therapy Radiopharmaceutical Targeting for Unsealed Source Therapy

RADIATION PROTECTION IN RADIOTHERAPY Theoretical Background to Radiation Protection Radiation Protection Regulation Practical Radiation Protection in Radiotherapy Radiation Protection Regulation in the United Kingdom REFERENCE DATA