Intracranial and Spinal Radiotherapy

Book excerpt: This book is a practical, up-to-date guide to the treatment of patients with brain and spinal tumors. Leading experts in the field explain treatment techniques in detail, highlighting key considerations in the use of external beam radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy, particle therapy, radiosurgery, and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Specific recommendations are described for different tumor types, and helpful information provided on other important issues, such as the interaction of radiotherapy and systemic therapy and the avoidance of treatment complications. With the development of modern technology, highly conformal radiotherapy techniques have become more complicated, yet also more widely employed. This book will equip readers with the knowledge required to set up practices to deliver quality brain and spinal radiation therapy appropriate to each patient. It will be of benefit to radiation oncologists, clinical oncologists, medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, radiation therapists, and senior nurses as well as medical oncologists and surgical oncologists with an interest in radiotherapy.