Radiation Oncology - A Physicist's-Eye View: Biological and Medical Physics. Biomedical Engineering. (Electronic book text)

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. 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; 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. The book is not intended to be comprehensive. Rather, it addresses those 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. Lastly, the book encourages both physicists and clinicians to approach the use of radiation in the treatment of cancer with understanding, confidence and imagination - with the aim of improving treatment outcomes for patients.