A Practical Guide To Quality Control Of Brachytherapy Equipment

Modern brachytherapy is one of the most important oncological treatment modalities requiring an integrated approach that utilizes new technologies, advanced clinical imaging facilities, and a thorough understanding of the radiobiological effects on different tissues, the principles of physics, dosimetry techniques and protocols, and clinical expertise. A complete overview of the field, Comprehensive Brachytherapy: Physical and Clinical Aspects is a landmark publication, presenting a detailed account of the underlying physics, design, and implementation of the techniques, along with practical guidance for practitioners. Bridging the gap between research and application, this single source brings together the technological basis, radiation dosimetry, quality assurance, and fundamentals of brachytherapy. In addition, it presents discussion of the most recent clinical practice in brachytherapy including prostate, gynecology, breast, and other clinical treatment sites. Along with exploring new clinical protocols, it discusses major advances in imaging, robotics, dosimetry, Monte Carlo-based dose calculation, and optimization.

The rich palette of topics set out in this book provides a sufficiently broad overview of the developments in the field of quality control. By providing detailed information on various aspects of quality control, this book can serve as a basis for starting interdisciplinary cooperation, which has increasingly become an integral part of scientific and applied research.

This book provides practical guidance on the use of brachytherapy. Each chapter gives the reader a solid background in the physics and dosimetry of the technique, followed by practical information on its use in common disease sites.

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. Medicine eBook is accessible on a variety of devices.

Quality and Safety in Radiation Oncology is the first book to provide an authoritative and evidence-based guide to the understanding and implementation of quality and safety procedures in radiation oncology practice. Alongside the rapid growth of technology and radiotherapy treatment options for cancer in recent years, quality and safety standards are not only of the utmost importance but best practices ensuring quality and safety are crucial aspect of modern radiation oncology training. A detailed exploration and review of these standards is a necessary part of radiation oncologist’s professional competency, both in the clinical setting and at the study table while preparing for board review and MOC exams. Chapter topics range from fundamental concepts of value and quality to commissioning technology and the use of metrics. They include perspectives on quality and safety from the patient, third-party payers, as well as from the federal government. Other chapters cover prospective testing of quality, training and education, error identification and analysis, incidence reporting, as well as special technology and procedures, including MRI-guided radiation therapy, proton therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), quality and safety procedures in resource-limited environments, and more. State-of-the-art quality assurance procedures and safety guidelines are the backbone of this unique and essential volume. Physicians, medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiotherapists, hospital administrators, and other healthcare professionals will find this resource an invaluable compendium of best practices in radiation oncology. Key Features: Case examples illustrate best practices and pitfalls Several dozen graphs, tables and figures help quantify the discussion of quality and safety throughout the text Section II covers all aspects of quality assurance procedures for the physicist