Radiation therapy has developed and advanced dramatically in the last few decades. However, very little has been published or done in the area of biologically optimized treatment planning. Development of Biologically Optimized Radiation Therapy aims to fill and close an important gap in the literature with a well-focused and in-depth content.The book covers the biological, physical and clinical background of advanced biologically based radiation therapy optimization with focus on modern radiation therapy modalities such as electron, photon and light ion therapy. Highly recommended for its strong interdisciplinary profile, the book contains a meritorious compilation of previously unpublished materials in many areas of modern science. Undergraduates, researchers and practitioners such as oncologists, medical physicists and radiation biologists alike should find the book immensely informative and comprehensively thorough.

The aim of this book is to provide a uniquely comprehensive source of information on the entire field of radiation therapy physics. The very significant advances in imaging, computational, and accelerator technologies receive full consideration, as do such topics as the dosimetry of radiolabeled antibodies and dose calculation models. The scope of the book and the expertise of the authors make it essential reading for interested physicians and physicists and for radiation dosimetrists.

- Summarizes the state of the art in the most relevant areas of medical physics and engineering applied to radiation oncology - Covers all relevant areas of the subject in detail, including 3D imaging and image processing, 3D treatment planning, modern treatment techniques, patient positioning, and aspects of verification and quality assurance - Conveys information in a readily understandable way that will appeal to professionals and students with a medical background as well as to newcomers to radiation oncology from the field of physics

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), one of the most important developments in radiation oncology in the past 25 years, involves technology to deliver radiation to tumors in the right location, quantity and time. Unavoidable irradiation of surrounding normal tissues is distributed so as to preserve their function. The achievements and future directions in the field are grouped in the three sections of the book, each suitable for supporting a teaching course. Part 1 contains topical reviews of the basic principles of IMRT, part 2 describes advanced techniques such as image-guided and biologically based approaches, and part 3 focuses on investigation of IMRT to improve outcome at various cancer sites.

The mathematical models in this book are concerned with a variety of approaches to the manner in which the clinical radiologic treatment of human neoplasms can be improved. These improvements comprise ways of delivering radiation to the malignan cies so as to create considerable damage to tumor cells while sparing neighboring normal tissues. There is no unique way of dealing with these improvements. Accord ingly, in this book a number of different presentations are given. Each presentation has as its goal some aspect of the improvement, or optimization, of radiotherapy. This book is a collection of current ideas concerned with the optimization of human cancer radiotherapy. It is hoped that readers will build on this collection and develop superior approaches for the understanding of the ways to improve therapy. The author owes a special debt of thanks to Kathy Prindle who breezed through the typing of this book with considerable dexterity. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Introduction 1 1. 2 History of Cancer and its Treatment by Radiotherapy 8 1. 3 Some Mathematical Models of Tumor Growth 12 1. 4 Spatial Distribution of the Radiation Dose 20 Chapter 2 SURVIVAL CURVES FROM STATISTICAL MODELS 24 2. 1 Introduction 24 2. 2 The Target Model 26 2. 3 Single-hit-to-kill Model 27 2. 4 Multitarget, Single-hit Survival 29 2. 5 Multitarget, Multihit Survival 31 2. 6 Single-target, Multihit Survival 31 2.

Today, the arsenal of “high-precision” or “targeted” radiotherapy includes a variety of techniques and approaches that, like the pieces of a puzzle, need to be put together to provide the prostate cancer patient with high-level optimized radiation treatment. This book examines in detail the role of these innovative radiation techniques in the management of prostate cancer. In addition, a variety of current controversies regarding treatment are carefully explored, including whether prophylactic treatment of the pelvic lymphatics is essential, the magnitude of the effect of dose escalation, whether a benefit accrues from hypofractionation, and what evidence exists for the superiority of protons or heavy ions. Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer: Innovative Techniques and Current Controversies is intended for both radiation oncologists and urologists with an interest in the up-to-date capabilities of modern radiation oncology for the treatment of prostate cancer.