Radiation Oncology: A Physicist's-Eye View

ISBN-13: 9780387726441 / Angielski / Twarda / 2007 / 330 str.

Opis

This book is written from the viewpoint of a person standing with one foot in physics and the other in radiation oncology, trying to help practitioners in one field understand the problems of, and find solutions for, practitioners in the other. It should therefore be of interest both to radiation oncologists and medial physicists. The book is written in such a way that it should be of use both to beginners and to those with experience in either field - and even, perhaps, to those who are contemplating entering one of them. The goal is not to give formal and complete developments of the topics covered - these are covered in standard textbooks - but to develop a foundation for understanding them. The presentations cover the principle physical and biological aspects of radiation therapy and address practical clinical considerations in planning and delivering therapy. The importance of the assessment of uncertainties is emphasized. with matter; the definition of the goals and the design of radiation therapy approaches; proton therapy; living with uncertainty; biophysical models of radiation damage; computer-based optimization of treatments; and the reporting of results.Its approach can perhaps best be defined in terms of what it is not: The book is not a textbook; no attempt has been made to be objective. Rather, it presents the author's ideas about a number of matters of importance in Radiation Oncology. areas in which the author has personal experience. Formulae, and quantitation, in general, have been avoided in the belief that an understanding of the majority of important medical and biological issues generally cannot be achieved through mathematical relationships. The book is written with three goals in mind. The first of these is to arm its readers to better know why they can or should do, or not do, certain things in the course of treating a cancer. The second and complimentary goal is to encourage the asking of the question why not? in the face of assertions that some proposal is impractical, unreasonable or impossible. use of radiation in the treatment of cancer with understanding, confidence and imagination - with the aim of improving treatment outcomes for patients.

Recenzje

From the reviews:

"It provides a lucid account of some of the modern technologies and methods in radiation therapy in which the author has been a leader. ... Goitein's avoidance of mathematical formulas makes his treatise easily readable. The footnotes that elaborate concepts and definitions are useful, and the author explains concepts clearly and provides extensive illustrations and understandable diagrams. ... is an invaluable resource not only for the experienced practitioner but also for the radiation oncologist, medical physicist, or dosimetrist who is new to the field." (Dan Jones, Physics Today, Vol. 61 (12), December, 2008)

Spis treści

Radiation in the Treatment of Cancer.- Uncertainty.- Mapping Anatomy.- Designing a Treatment Beam.- Biology Matters.- Designing a Treatment Plan.- Motion Management.- Planning Manually.- IMRT and “Optimization”.- Proton Therapy in Water.- Proton Therapy in the Patient.- Quality Assurance.- Confidence.

O autorze

Michael Goitein, Ph.D., is Professor of Radiation Therapy Emeritus (Radiation Biophysics) Harvard Medical School.  He is certified in Therapeutic Radiological Physics by the American Board of Radiology and in Medical Physics by the Swiss Society of Medical Physics and Biology. He is also a Fellow in the American Association of Physicists in Medicine and an Honorary Member of the Belgian Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology.

Blurb

Radiation Oncology: A Physicist's-Eye View was written for both physicists and medical oncologists with the aim of helping them approach the use of radiation in the treatment of cancer with understanding, confidence, and imagination.  The book will let practitioners in one field understand the problems of, and find solutions for, practitioners in the other. It will help them to know "why" certain approaches are fruitful while, at the same time, encouraging them to ask the question "Why not?" in the face of assertions that some proposal of theirs is impractical, unreasonable, or impossible. Unlike a textbook, formal and complete developments of the topics are not among the goals. Instead, the reader will develop a foundation for understanding what the author has found to be matters of importance in radiation oncology during over thirty years of experience. Presentations cover, in largely non-technical language, the principal physical and biological aspects of radiation treatment and address practical clinical considerations in planning and delivering therapy. The importance of the assessment of uncertainties is emphasized. Topics include: an overview of the physics of the interactions of radiation with matter; the definition of the goals and the design of radiation therapy approaches; living with uncertainty; biophysical models of radiation damage; computer-based optimization of treatments; and proton therapy. Formulae and quantitation in general have been avoided in the belief that an understanding of the majority of important medical and biological issues in radiation oncology generally cannot be achieved through mathematical relationships.  This unique and highly readable book will be indispensable both to beginners and to those with experience in either medical physics or radiation oncology.

The author, who is Professor of Radiation Oncology Emeritus at Harvard Medical School, was an early pioneer in the development of image-based treatment planning and has been responsible for developing and putting into clinical practice such widely used tools as: digitally reconstructed radiographs, dose-volume histograms, and beam’s-eye view and has been a leader in the development of proton beam therapy.