Emerging Technologies In Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is continuously advancing. Years of accumulated experience have led to clinical evidence of its benefit in numerous clinical sites such as gynecological, prostate, breast, rectum, ocular, and many other cancers. Brachytherapy continues to expand in its scope of practice and complexity, driven by strong academic and commercial research, by advances in competing modalities, and due to the diversity in the political and economic landscape. It is a true challenge for practicing professionals and students to readily grasp the overarching trends of the field, especially of those technologies and innovative practices that are not yet established but are certainly on the rise. Addressing this challenge, Emerging Technologies in Brachytherapy presents a comprehensive collection of chapters on the latest trending/emerging technologies and expert opinions. It is divided into five broad sections: Section I: Physics of Brachytherapy Section II: Imaging for Brachytherapy Guidance Section III: Brachytherapy Suites Section IV: Is Brachytherapy a Competitive Modality? Section V: Vision 20/20: Industry Perspective Each section has a carefully selected collection of chapters, which covers the spectrum of topics in comprehensive detail. By drawing on recognized experts and key opinion leaders from academia and commercial sectors worldwide (100+ contributors), Emerging Technologies in Brachytherapy provides readers with a wealth of relevant information needed to comprehend the rapidly advancing technologies and trends of today and the prospects for the future.

Brachytherapy is continuously advancing. Years of accumulated experience have led to clinical evidence of its benefit in numerous clinical sites such as gynecological, prostate, breast, rectum, ocular, and many other cancers. Brachytherapy continues to expand in its scope of practice and complexity, driven by strong academic and commercial research, by advances in competing modalities, and due to the diversity in the political and economic landscape. It is a true challenge for practicing professionals and students to readily grasp the overarching trends of the field, especially of those technologies and innovative practices that are not yet established but are certainly on the rise. Addressing this challenge, Emerging Technologies in Brachytherapy presents a comprehensive collection of chapters on the latest trending/emerging technologies and expert opinions. It is divided into five broad sections: Section I: Physics of Brachytherapy Section II: Imaging for Brachytherapy Guidance Section III: Brachytherapy Suites Section IV: Is Brachytherapy a Competitive Modality? Section V: Vision 20/20: Industry Perspective Each section has a carefully selected collection of chapters, which covers the spectrum of topics in comprehensive detail. By drawing on recognized experts and key opinion leaders from academia and commercial sectors worldwide (100+ contributors), Emerging Technologies in Brachytherapy provides readers with a wealth of relevant information needed to comprehend the rapidly advancing technologies and trends of today and the prospects for the future.

"This is the first book to cover emerging technologies and clinical evidence in the field of brachytherapy. The book is divided into 5 sections, with each section having multiple chapters to adequately cover all issues of interest: 1) Emerging Physics Technologies, 2) Emerging Imaging Technologies, 3) Emerging Clinical Evidences, 4) The Brachytherapy Suites of the Future, Today, and 5) Is Brachytherapy a Competitive Modality? The book is an outstanding resource for all medical physicists, medical doctors, residents and students who wish to keep abreast of emerging technologies in brachytherapy, and plan ahead so that new technologies can be adopted in-clinic as soon as they are released"--

This new book educates readers about new technologies before they appear in hospitals, enabling medical physicists and clinicians to prepare for new technologies thoroughly and proactively, and provide better patient care once new equipment becomes available. Emerging technologies in imaging, treatment planning, treatment delivery, dosimetry and informatics are all discussed. The book is divided into three parts: recently developed technologies available for practice; technologies under development nearing completion; and technologies in an early stage of development that could have potential radiotherapy applications. Features: Introduces emerging technologies in imaging, treatment planning, treatment delivery, dosimetry and informatics The advantages and limitations of each technology in clinical settings are discussed, and recommendations on how to adopt the technologies are provided Critiques and improvement points are provided for researchers, in addition to suggestions on how to prepare quality assurance are provided as needed

- Summarizes the state of the art in the most relevant areas of medical physics and engineering applied to radiation oncology - Covers all relevant areas of the subject in detail, including 3D imaging and image processing, 3D treatment planning, modern treatment techniques, patient positioning, and aspects of verification and quality assurance - Conveys information in a readily understandable way that will appeal to professionals and students with a medical background as well as to newcomers to radiation oncology from the field of physics

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 only comprehensive guide to the latest knowledge and techniques in brachytherapy Since the first edition was published in 2006, Phillip M. Devlinís Brachytherapy has been acknowledged as the essential book on the practice. Inthis updated new edition, all chapters covering cancer sites have been significantly revised. Organized for specialists in several fields, Brachytherapy contains site-specific chapters that discuss how the evolving role of advanced image guidance has demonstrated greater efficacy and less toxicity. Clinical vignettes with images now accompany all site-specific chapters. The chapter on prostate brachytherapy has been expanded to include other indications in the genitourinary system, and there are two entirely new chaptersóone chronicling the history of brachytherapy and the other detailing the emergence of skin brachytherapy. Dr. Devlin, a leading world authority on brachytherapy, has assembled other leaders in the field from world-renowned radiation oncology programs to enrichthis comprehensive text. From new data on medical outcomes to the costs and benefits of running a brachytherapy practice, Brachytherapy, Second Edition is the first and last word on what still is considered the most conformal radiotherapy technique in the field. In the new edition: Over 300 images accompany the chapter text and clinical vignettes Essential tables and spreadsheets enhance the chapter on running a brachytherapy practice Ten years of technological advancements are assimilated and reviewed in each site-specific chapter Includes access to the fully-searchable downloadable ebook From the Foreword: ìAs education is essential to advance awareness of and proficiency in the full spectrum of brachytherapy applications, the appearance of the second edition of this highly regarded text is both a timely and most welcome event. The distinguished list of contributors to this work reads like a veritable ìWhoís Whoî of international brachytherapy expertise making this an indispensable resource for students and practitioners of this complex and challenging modality[Ö]A particularly welcome feature is the clinical vignettes at the close of every chapter that bring seemingly remote concepts to life in real world practical applications[Ö]With the second edition of Brachytherapy: Applications and Techniques, Dr. Devlin and colleagues give us a text that instills a profound appreciation for the critical value of this essential modality. This book makes it clear that brachytherapy not only works, it is an irreplaceable component of contemporary cancer care.î --David Wazer, MD, FACRO, FACR, FASTRO, Professor and Chairman, Departments of Radiation Oncology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI

Radiation therapy is in the process of continual change, fueled by advances in computer technology, but also aided by the contributions of several disciplines such as physics, mathematics, radiological diagnostics, neurosurgery, and mechanical and electrical engineering. Based on the 3D imaging techniques CT and MRI, a complete change from the 2D consideration of the radiotherapy problem has taken place, leading to 3D treatment planning and to completely new treatment delivery systems. A 3D approach allows for a dramatic rethinking of the following central therapy issues: positioning, targeting, and dose and risk calculation. Major advances have been made in recent years in conformal or stereotactic techniques, in dosimetry, the target volume concept as well as clinical studies. The advances are reflected in the papers collected here from the international symposium '3D Radiation Treatment: Technological Innovations and Clinical Results' held in Munich in March 1999. The reports present the newest technical developments and clinical applications. New conformal and stereotactic technologies are discussed. Clinical results are presented in the treatment of lung cancer, prostate cancer, and brain tumors. The role of growth factors and cytokines in the pathogenesis of radiation injury is examined as are mechanisms in the development of normal tissue damage and their significance for understanding tolerated radiation dose. Included are reports on endovascular brachytherapy and new tools of 3D brachytherapy. This timely book will be of particular interest to radiation oncologists and related clinical practitioners, biologists and physicists.