Brachytherapy is an essential component of the curative treatment of cervical cancer, a disease with high incidence in many developing countries The IAEA supports the use of high dose rate brachytherapy for centres with a large number of patients with this disease. HDR brachytherapy is also used in other common cancers such as breast cancer, lung, esophagus and prostate. This publication provides guidance to radiation oncologists, medical physicists and planners on establishing and operating a high dose rate brachytherapy unit with modern standards and presents the main issues to be addressed for its effective and safe operation.

"Brachytherapy is an essential component of the curative treatment of cervical cancer, a disease with high incidence in many developing countries The IAEA supports the use of high dose rate brachytherapy for centres with a large number of patients with this disease. HDR brachytherapy is also used in other common cancers such as breast cancer, lung, oesophagus and prostate. This publication provides guidance to radiation oncologists, medical physicists and planners on establishing and operating a high dose rate brachytherapy unit with modern standards and presents the main issues to be addressed for its effective and safe operation."--Publisher's description.

Perfect for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and residents in both fields, Practical Radiation Oncology Physics provides a concise and practical summary of the current practice standards in therapeutic medical physics. A companion to the fourth edition of Clinical Radiation Oncology, by Drs. Leonard Gunderson and Joel Tepper, this indispensable guide helps you ensure a current, state-of-the art clinical practice. Covers key topics such as relative and in-vivo dosimetry, imaging and clinical imaging, stereotactic body radiation therapy, and brachytherapy. Describes technical aspects and patient-related aspects of current clinical practice. Offers key practice guideline recommendations from professional societies throughout - including AAPM, ASTRO, ABS, ACR, IAEA, and others. Includes therapeutic applications of x-rays, gamma rays, electron and charged particle beams, neutrons, and radiation from sealed radionuclide sources, plus the equipment associated with their production, use, measurement, and evaluation. Features a "For the Physician" box in each chapter, which summarizes the key points with the most impact on the quality and safety of patient care. Provides a user-friendly appendix with annotated compilations of all relevant recommendation documents. Includes an enhanced Expert Consult eBook with open-ended questions, ideal for self-assessment and highlighting key points from each chapter. Download and search all of the text, figures, and references on any mobile device.

This publication provides guidance for designing and implementing radiotherapy programmes, taking into account clinical, medical physics, radiation protection and safety aspects. It reflects current requirements for radiotherapy infrastructure in settings with limited resources. It will be of use to professionals involved in the development, implementation and management of radiotherapy programmes

Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) is being rapidly introduced into the clinical management of early breast cancer. APBI, in fact, encompasses a number of different techniques and approaches that include brachytherapy, intraoperative, and external beam techniques. There is currently no single source that describes these techniques and their clinical implementation. This text is a concise handbook designed to assist the clinician in the implementation of APBI. This includes a review of the principles that underlie APBI, a practical and detailed description of each technique for APBI, a review of current clinical results of APBI, and a review of the incidence and management of treatment related complications.

This Safety Report is a review of a large number of events that may serve as a checklist against which to test the vulnerability of a facility to potential accidents, and to provide a basis for improving safety in the use of radiation in medical applications. Furthermore, it is intended to encourage the development of a questioning and learning attitude, the adoption of measures for the prevention of accidents, and the preparation for mitigation of the consequences of accidents, if they occur.

In 2005, 7.6 million people died of cancer. More than 70% of those deaths occured in low and middle income countries. WHO has developed a series of six modules that provides practical advice for programme managers and policy-makers on how to advocate, plan and implement effective cancer control programmes, particularly in low and middle income countries.The WHO guide is a response to the World Health Assembly resolution on cancer prevention and control (WHA58.22), adopted in May 2005, which calls on Member States to intensify action against cancer by developing and reinforcing cancer control programmes.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as an important innovative treatment for various primary and metastatic cancers. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the physical/technological, biological, and clinical aspects of SBRT. It will serve as a detailed resource for this rapidly developing treatment modality. The organ sites covered include lung, liver, spine, pancreas, prostate, adrenal, head and neck, and female reproductive tract. Retrospective studies and prospective clinical trials on SBRT for various organ sites from around the world are examined, and toxicities and normal tissue constraints are discussed. This book features unique insights from world-renowned experts in SBRT from North America, Asia, and Europe. It will be necessary reading for radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents and fellows, medical physicists, medical physics residents, medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and cancer scientists.

Accuracy requirements in radiation oncology have been defined in multiple publications; however, these have been based on differing radiation technologies. In the meantime, the uncertainties in radiation dosimetry reference standards have been reduced and more detailed patient outcome data are available. No comprehensive literature on accuracy and uncertainties in radiotherapy has been published so far. The IAEA has therefore developed a new international consensus document on accuracy requirements and uncertainties in radiation therapy, to promote safer and more effective patient treatments. This publication addresses accuracy and uncertainty issues related to the vast majority of radiotherapy departments including both external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy. It covers clinical, radiobiological, dosimetric, technical and physical aspects.

Most women who die from cervical cancer, particularly in developing countries, are in the prime of their life. They may be raising children, caring for their family, and contributing to the social and economic life of their town or village. Their death is both a personal tragedy, and a sad and unnecessary loss to their family and their community. Unnecessary, because there is compelling evidence, as this Guide makes clear, that cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Unfortunately, the majority of women in developing countries still do not have access to cervical cancer prevention programmes. The consequence is that, often, cervical cancer is not detected until it is too late to be cured. An urgent effort is required if this situation is to be corrected. This Guide is intended to help those responsible for providing services aimed at reducing the burden posed by cervical cancer for women, communities and health systems. It focuses on the knowledge and skills needed by health care providers, at different levels of care.