External Beam Therapy

Book excerpt: External beam therapy is the most common form of radiotherapy, delivering ionizing radiation such as high-energy x-rays, gamma rays or electron beams directly into the location of the patient's tumour. External Beam Therapy, Second Edition is an essential, practical guide to the use of external beam radiotherapy, highlighting the rapid technological advances made in recent years. It provides a firm background to the physics of external beam radiotherapy, taking the reader through the basic principles and discussing issues such as quality assurance. Experts within each field then expand upon techniques for treatment delivery within each anatomical site, covering indications, treatment and planning. This new edition also includes information on Stereotactic radiotherapy and coverage on the physics of proton beams. External Beam Therapy, Second Edition is an invaluable companion to trainees in medical physics, therapeutic radiography, and clinical or radiation oncology. ABOUT THE SERIES: Radiotherapy remains the major non-surgical treatment modality for the management of malignant disease. It is based on the application of the principles of applied physics, radiobiology, and tumour biology to clinical practice. Each volume in this series takes the reader through the basic principles of the use of ionising radiation and then develops this by individual sites. This series of practical handbooks are aimed at physicians both training and practising in radiotherapy, as well as medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiographers and senior nurses.