Target Volume Delineation For Pediatric Cancers

This handbook is designed to provide the radiation oncologist with clear practical guidance in the delineation of tumor volumes and/or radiation fields for a wide variety of pediatric cancers, including the most frequently encountered malignancies of childhood. This is a guide to designing treatment fields and volumes that may be utilized in the delivery of conformal therapies such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy and proton therapy, the latter being particularly relevant in children. Each chapter focuses on a specific tumor type, providing general guidelines that will assist the reader in delineating the clinical target volume for particular presentations, including patterns of spread. As the target volumes can be complex, detailed illustrations are presented of the volumes in representative cases, contoured slice by slice on the planning CT images. In addition to target volume delineation for conformal treatment, field design setup for conventional approaches is also discussed.

This book presents the most up-to-date and innovative information on the targeting and treatment of a wide range of childhood cancers by means of radiation therapy. Written by global experts in pediatric radiation oncology, it documents in detail the treatment regimens appropriate to each disease, highlighting the recent advances that promise to improve rates of survival and cure. The use of image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy is clearly described, and careful attention is also devoted to the roles of proton therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic fractionated radiosurgery, and modulated arc radiotherapy. Separate chapters address localization and verification procedures and anesthesia; pediatric radiation oncology in the palliative care setting; and aspects that are especially relevant in low- and medium-income countries. Beyond clinical radiation oncology, relevant information is provided on radiation physics. The book concludes by examining future directions in the field.

By becoming knowledgeable about optimal treatment methods designed specifically for childhood cancers, members of a radiotherapy team can help improve both pediatric cancer survival statistics and patients’ quality of life. Pediatric Radiotherapy Planning and Treatment is the first single, focused resource available for health care providers to accurately plan and deliver radiation therapy to children. The first section of the book discusses the statistics of pediatric cancer incidence and survival. It also reviews the literature on radiation-induced secondary malignancies, addressing the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in children. The second section presents disease-specific chapters. Each chapter in this section gives a clinical overview of the disease, describes treatment planning and delivery concepts and guidance, and surveys late effects and organ tolerance doses. Many of the techniques presented can be readily translated to any radiotherapy department. The book also explores the historical background underpinning current treatment paradigms, which reveals the tremendous creativity of radiation oncologists and physicists in addressing difficult treatment dilemmas. Medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation oncologists, and others in a pediatric radiotherapy team must understand pediatric cancers and know how to accurately and safely implement optimal treatments to minimize late effects and maximize the chance for cure or palliation. The methods and clinical background in this book help these health care providers—even those with no formal training in pediatric radiotherapy—recognize the differences between pediatric cancers and adult cancers and then design and administer an appropriate treatment plan.

Now thoroughly updated to include new advances in the field,and with regular content updates to the eBook, Principles and Practice of Pediatric Oncology, 7th Edition remains the gold standard text for the care and research of children with cancer. This authoritative reference is the single most comprehensive resource on the biology and genetics of childhood cancer and the diagnosis, multimodal treatment, and long-term management of young patients with cancer. Also addressed are a broad array of topics on the supportive and psychosocial aspects of care of children and families. Covering virtually every aspect of the breadth and depth of childhood cancer, this 7th Edition provides expert guidance on state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary care for children and families. Stay up to date with the most recent advances in the field with the contributions by new and returning contributors, including the perspective from patients and parents in the chapter titled “The Other Side of the Bed.” Reference your eBook version for key updates in the field during the life of the edition! Chapters included on palliative care and education. Supportive care is covered broadly and specifically – in contexts such as emergencies, infectious disease, and nutrition. The most updated and authoritative information is provided by the leading experts in the field. Gain a thorough understanding of every aspect of pediatric oncology, with comprehensive information regarding basic science, diagnostic tools, principles of treatment, and clinical trials, as well as highly detailed, definitive coverage of each pediatric malignancy. Collaborate more effectively with others on the cancer care team to enhance quality-of-life issues for patients and families. Understand the cooperative nature of pediatric oncology as a model for cancer research with information from cooperative clinical trial groups and consortia.

This handbook will enable radiation oncologists to appropriately and confidently select and delineate tumor volumes/fields for conformal radiation therapy, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), in patients with commonly encountered cancers. The orientation of this handbook is entirely practical, in that the focus is on the illustration of clinical target volume (CTV) delineation for each major malignancy. Each chapter provides guidelines and concise knowledge on treatment planning and CTV selection, explains how the anatomy of lymphatic drainage shapes target volume selection, and presents detailed illustrations of delineations, slice by slice, on planning CT images. While the emphasis is on target volume delineation for three-dimensional conformal therapy and IMRT, information is also provided on conventional radiation therapy field setup and planning for certain malignancies for which IMRT is not currently suitable.

The main objective of this book is to provide radiation oncologists with a clear, up-to-date guide to tumor delineation and contouring of organs at risk. With this in mind, a detailed overview of recent advances in imaging for radiation treatment planning is presented. Novel concepts for target volume delineation are explained, taking into account the innovations in imaging technology. Special attention is paid to the role of the newer imaging modalities, such as positron emission tomography and diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging. All of the most important tumor entities treated with radiation therapy are covered in the book. Each chapter is devoted to a particular tumor type and has been written by a recognized expert in that topic.

Each chapter will focus on the known molecular characteristics of specific childhood cancers, focusing on how the molecular ‘drivers’ can be exploited from a therapeutic standpoint with currently available targeted agents. Where applicable, integration of targeted therapies with conventional cytotoxic agents will be considered. This volume will provide a comprehensive summary of molecular characteristics of childhood cancers, and how the changes involved in transformation provide us with opportunities for developing relatively less toxic, but curative, therapies.

This volume provides readers a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview about the range of applications of targeted therapies for solid tumors. The sections of the book have been structured to review the oncogene addicted tumors, the pharmacology and clinical development of new molecularly targeted agents, the use of biomarkers as prognostic, predictive and surrogate endpoints, and the evaluation of tumor response and specific malignancies treated with targeted agents. The book also covers some of the newest developments in cancer therapy that are not adequately covered by any current available literature. Written by recognized experts in the field, Targeted Therapies for Solid Tumors: A Handbook for Moving Toward New Frontiers in Cancer Treatment provides a unique and valuable resource in the field of molecular oncology, both for those currently in training, and for those already in clinical or research practice.