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Book Review
The Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology, Vol. 2, edited by Jacob Van Dyk, Medical Physics Publishing, 2005, ISBN-10:1-930524-25-0 (hard cover), list price $120 hard cover, $100 soft cover
The Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology,
volume 1, is a compendium of the technology and techniques and their
implementation in modern radiation therapy practice, and was
published in 1999. Since that time, a number of developments and
enhancements to the practice of radiation oncology have been
undertaken. The Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology,
volume 2, updates and further details some technologies that were
introduced in volume 1; it also introduces in detail technologies
that were too new or nonexistent and not reviewed in volume 1. For
example, Chapter 2, Imaging and Radiation Therapy Planning, is a
followup and enhancement to volume 1's Chapter 7 on a similar topic.
Likewise, Chapter 10, Prostate Brachytherapy, is a detailed
expansion of this subject, only introduced in volume 1, Chapter 18.
Overall, this describes the significant incremental advances in
radiation therapy technology since volume 1 was published a few
years ago. This book is intended for, and likely useful for, medical
physicists at all levels in their careers, medical physics
residents, and, to some extent, medical residents for some
applications. Certain aspects of the book would also be useful for
dosimetrists and radiation therapists in training and during their
practice.
Chapter 1 presents the
motivating summary for this volume, referring to new technology that
allows higher, more conformal radiation doses to be delivered. Each
new technology requires additional understanding, quality assurance,
precision, accuracy, etc. Of great significance in this very complex
technological environment are the issues of quality assurance
relative to reducing errors. It is also important to recognize that
new technologies present new challenges, and these challenges may
impact the clinical result. What we do now for new techniques should
not be what we have always done because the risks and failure modes
may be different. This at times requires an assessment to improve
the process with new technology, even if it means significant
change.
Chapter 2 updates the
reader on imaging for treatment planning. It includes accounting for
motion and four-dimensional scanning as well as updates on MR, PET,
PET CT, and SPECT. A detailed review of the Task Group 66 Report on
CT simulation is also included, although it might be too detailed
because TG 66 is a published report.
Chapter 3 is an excellent
introduction to Monte Carlo treatment-planning solutions, but it may
be too detailed on some of the technical aspects, which makes
locating critical and important information difficult for the
average reader. Good clinical examples are shown.
Chapter 4 is a detailed and
thorough description of inverse planning with specific and
clinically meaningful examples. It pays particular attention to the
nuances that physicists and dosimetrists need to understand to
effectively use inverse planning algorithms. This includes
understanding how the system behaves with variations in key
parameters, objectives, constraints, prioritizations, and
prescriptions. This chapter also goes into a lot of detail rather
than leaving anything out.
Chapter
5 is an overview of and introduction to the development of current
radiobiological models and their limitations. It points out the real
lack of good experimental data to build reliable and predictable
radiobiological models. The history of the linear quadratic model
and the derivation of tumor control probability and normal tissue
complication probabilities are described. Existing data are reviewed
in the context of the models and their limitations. The authors
stress the true complexity in developing a model with minimal data
that are meaningful when extrapolated to radiation therapy
treatments.
Chapter 6 presents an
update on intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), but it is
somewhat redundant with Chapter 4 in this volume and Chapter 12 of
volume 1. This, to some extent, is confusing to the reader because
the nomenclature is slightly different in this chapter than in the
previous discussions of IMRT. For the reader to jump back and forth
between Chapters 4 and 6 of this volume and Chapter 12 of the
previous volume is too complex. In addition, the use of
vendor-specific examples may not be generally applicable to all
users.
Chapter 7 updates the
radiographic verification process and reviews advanced solutions for
this process, namely, image-guided radiation therapy. It includes
the essential procedures for the use, commissioning, and quality
assurance of kilovoltage, megavoltage, cone-beam CT, and CT-based
methods of localization. It drives home the point that the treatment
plan is intended to deliver a specific dose to the target, and that
the verification protocols allow the team to be certain, through an
organized technical process, that the dose was indeed delivered as
intended.
Chapter 8 introduces and
brings the reader quickly up-to-date on the status of breathing and
breathing control in radiation therapy treatments. This is a very
good review of the current state of respiratory issues and their
potential solutions.
Chapter 9
describes the essentials and basics related to the use of ion
chambers for absolute calibration of megavoltage beams. Some of the
basics overlap with those already considered in volume 1 on dose
measurement tools, specifically ion chambers. This is, however, a
very good summary of currently applicable calibration protocols. It
also underscores, and clearly covers, the critical importance of
quality assurance of calibration procedures.
Chapter 10 updates the
brachytherapy practice, specifically for prostate implants, and
includes a current and substantial review of low-dose rate and
high-dose rate techniques for prostate brachytherapy.
In summary, volume 2 of The
Modern Technology of Radiation Oncology contains some very
useful information for medical physicists at any stage in their
career, for radiation oncology residents, and for dosimetrists and
radiation therapists. Although some of the information is too
detailed and some is redundant with volume 1 and with other chapters
of this volume, most would find this a reference worth having in
their library.
Vice Chairman and Head of Physics
Mayo
Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota 55905 U.S.A.
© 2006 Am. Coll. Med. Phys.