Radiation Oncology: Radiobiological and Physiological Perspectives

An optimum complication-free tumour control is a cardinal principle in cancer management. Radiotherapy, alone or in combination with chemotherapy and/or surgery, is increasingly used in cancer management. The second edition of this book highlights the progress made in our knowledge of clinical radiobiology and radiophysics and points out the impact of such progress in improving the results of cancer treatment both as regards tumour control and tissue morbidity. This is in continuity of the policy adopted in the first edition which emphasized the need to identify the "boundary zone" between the rapidly developing knowledge in fundamental radiobiology and radiotherapeutic oncology. This task has become increasingly difficult in view of the complexity of the acquired knowledge in both cancer biology and basic radiobiology. Nevertheless, an attempt is made, in the present edition, to simplify modern findings and concepts without losing depth of knowledge.The book is addressed to readers from a number of disciplines involved in cancer treatment and related research. For the practicing radiotherapist, the main focus is on the genesis and development of normal tissue damage, methods to minimize such damage, fractionation and adding different radiotherapy schedules, treatment gaps and re-irradiation. Optimization of the use of modern high accuracy radiation therapy procedures, optimization of multiple modality cancer treatment and prediction of normal tissue and tumour response are of special concern to radiotherapists engaged in clinical research. For radiobiologists having interest in cancer treatment the problem of prediction of normal tissue and tumour response is of special concern. In addition, biologists are interested in preclinical studies dealing with agents that either enhance the tumour response or protect normal tissues. The book also addresses medical oncologists dealing with combined chemoradiotherapy. Diagnostic imaging, including nuclear scanning procedures are, at present, increasingly used in cancer diagnosis, staging and treatment planning. The book is addressing these possibilities. The role of the physicists in development of treatment planning systems, 4-dimensuional treatment planning, securing treatment accuracy and radiation protection are also main topics.