Hendee's Radiation Therapy Physics

The publication of this fourth edition, more than ten years on from the publication of Radiation Therapy Physics third edition, provides a comprehensive and valuable update to the educational offerings in this field. Led by a new team of highly esteemed authors, building on Dr Hendee’s tradition, Hendee’s Radiation Therapy Physics offers a succinctly written, fully modernised update.

Radiation physics has undergone many changes in the past ten years: intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has become a routine method of radiation treatment delivery, digital imaging has replaced film-screen imaging for localization and verification, image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is frequently used, in many centers proton therapy has become a viable mode of radiation therapy, new approaches have been introduced to radiation therapy quality assurance and safety that focus more on process analysis rather than specific performance testing, and the explosion in patient-and machine-related data has necessitated an increased awareness of the role of informatics in radiation therapy. As such, this edition reflects the huge advances made over the last ten years. This book:

• Provides state of the art content throughout
• Contains four brand new chapters; image-guided therapy, proton radiation therapy, radiation therapy informatics, and quality and safety improvement
• Fully revised and expanded imaging chapter discusses the increased role of digital imaging and computed tomography (CT) simulation
• The chapter on quality and safety contains content in support of new residency training requirements
• Includes problem and answer sets for self-test

This edition is essential reading for radiation oncologists in training, students of medical physics, medical dosimetry, and anyone interested in radiation therapy physics, quality, and safety.

Todd Pawlicki, PhD, FAAPM
Professor and Vice-Chair of Medical Physics
Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences
University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

Daniel J. Scanderbeg PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences
University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

George Starkschall PhD, FACMP, FAAPM, FACR
Research Professor,
Department of Radiation Physics,
Division of Radiation Oncology,
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,
Houston, TX, USA

Preface to the Fourth Edition, vi

Preface to the Third Edition, vii

Preface to the Second Edition, viii

Preface to the First Edition, ix

1 Atomic Structure and Radioactive Decay, 1

2 Interactions of X Rays and Gamma Rays, 16

3 Interactions of Particulate Radiation with Matter, 29

4 Machines for Producing Radiation, 35

5 Measurement of Ionizing Radiation, 57

6 Calibration of Megavoltage Beams of X Rays and Electrons, 77

7 Central-axis Point Dose Calculations, 96

8 External Beam Dose Calculations, 110

9 External Beam Treatment Planning and Delivery, 123

10 The Basics of Medical Imaging, 146

11 Diagnostic Imaging and Applications to Radiation Therapy, 154

12 Tumor Targeting: Image-guided and Adaptive Radiation Therapy, 170

13 Computer Systems, 182

14 Radiation Oncology Informatics, 197

15 Physics of Proton Radiation Therapy, 204

16 Sources for Implant Therapy and Dose Calculation, 215

17 Brachytherapy Treatment Planning, 231

18 Radiation Protection, 248

19 Quality Assurance, 267

20 Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, 294

Appendix: Answers to Selected Problems, 310

Index, 317

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