Linear Accelerators for Radiation Therapy

"… a very welcome second edition … thoroughly up to date with sections on MLCs, EPIDs, computer control of LINACs, dosimetry protocols, imaging, and costs … intensely practical and useful volume …"-Professor S. Webb, Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Trust"… excellent … clearly written for medical physicists in the field."-Professor S. Lillicrap, Head of Medical Physics, Wessex Regional Medical Physics Service"… notable improvements include … technology of state-of-the-art radiotherapy techniques, more in-depth treatment of specialist topics such as waveguide theory and electron beam optics … marked increase in the number and quality of diagrams."-J.B. Tuohy, Head of Radiotherapy Technology, Cookridge Hospital"… a useful book for the indicated readership…"-A.N.L. Kay, Director, Varian Oncology Systems"… a reasonably sized and priced textbook that should be on every therapy department bookshelf and in every medical and radiography school. Radiographers, radiotherapists, medical technical officers, manufacturers, and clinical scientists would all benefit from this book."-P.H. Smithson, Principal Physicist, Medical Equipment Management Organisation, Bristol Oncology Centre, RAD Magazine, April 1998

• General description of a linear accelerator and its component systems. Basic processes in electron acceleration - the accelerating waveguide. The microwave system and its high voltage supplies. The vacuum, cooling and ancillary systems. The electron beam (its production and transport). The treatment head. The dose monitoring and control system. Beam direction and beam shaping devices. Mechanical systems. Control and interlock systems. Treatment verification. Specification, performance and calibration. Radiation protection and room design. Accelerator operation. Simulators and tomographic scanners. Contemporary developments.