Series in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering - Böcker

With contributions from leading international researchers, this second edition of Electrical Impedance Tomography: Methods, History and Applications has been fully updated throughout and contains new developments in the field, including sections on image interpretation and image reconstruction. Providing a thorough review of the progress of EIT, the present state of knowledge, and a look at future advances and applications, this accessible reference will be invaluable for mathematicians, physicists dealing with bioimpedance, electronic engineers involved in developing and extending its applications, and clinicians wishing to take advantage of this powerful imaging method.Key Features:Fully updated throughout, with new sections on image interpretation and image reconstructionOverview of the current state of experimental and clinical use of EIT as well as active research developmentsOverview of related research in geophysics, industrial process tomography, magnetic-resonance and magnetic-induction impedance imaging

This book explores the physics of CT dosimetry and provides practical guidance on best practice for medical researchers and practitioners. A rigorous description of the basic physics of CT dosimetry is presented and illustrates flaws of the current methodology. It also contains helpful (and rigorous) shortcuts to reduce the measurement workload for medical physicists. The mathematical rigor is accompanied by easily-understood physical explanations and numerous illustrative figures.Features:Authored by a recognised expert in the field and award-winning teacherIncludes derivations for tube current modulation and variable pitch as well as stationary table techniquesExplores abnormalities present in dose-tracking software based on CTDI and presents methods to correct them

X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been one of the most popular diagnostic imaging modalities for decades in the clinic for saving patients’ lives or improving their quality of life. This book is an introductory one-stop shop for technological and clinical topics in multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT).Starting with MDCT’s fundamentals in physics and mathematics, the book provides an in-depth introduction to its system architecture and imaging chain, signal detection via energy-integration and photon-counting mechanisms, clinical application-driven scan modes and protocols, analytic and iterative image reconstruction solutions, and spectral imaging – the latest technological advancement in MDCT. The book extends its coverage on image quality assessment under the theory of signal detection and statistical decision. In recognition of its clinical relevance for conspicuity enhancement in angiographic and parenchymal imaging applications, the book features a chapter dedicated to the fundamental (chemical, physical and physicochemical) properties and clinical administration of iodinated contrast agent. The book ends with an outlook of the contrast agents that are novel in material and delivery, and their synergy with spectral MDCT to elevate CT’s contrast resolution in cardiovascular, neurovascular and oncologic applications. This book will be an invaluable reference for researchers, engineers, radiological physicians and technologists, and graduate and senior undergraduate students.FeaturesProvides an accessible introduction to the subjectUp to date with the latest advances in emerging technologies and proceduresProvides a historical overview of CT technology

The second in a three-volume set exploring Problems and Solutions in Medical Physics, this volume explores common questions and their solutions in Nuclear Medicine. This invaluable study guide should be used in conjunction with other key textbooks in the field to provide additional learning opportunities. Topics include radioactivity and nuclear transformation, radionuclide production and radiopharmaceuticals, non-imaging detectors and counters, instrumentation for gamma imaging, SPECT and PET/CT, imaging techniques, radionuclide therapy, internal radiation dosimetry, and quality control and radiation protection in nuclear medicine. Each chapter provides examples, notes, and references for further reading to enhance understanding.Features:Consolidates concepts and assists in the understanding and applications of theoretical concepts in medical physicsAssists lecturers and instructors in setting assignments and testsSuitable as a revision tool for postgraduate students sitting medical physics, oncology, and radiology sciences examinations

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to current state-of-the-art auto-segmentation approaches used in radiation oncology for auto-delineation of organs-of-risk for thoracic radiation treatment planning. Containing the latest, cutting edge technologies and treatments, it explores deep-learning methods, multi-atlas-based methods, and model-based methods that are currently being developed for clinical radiation oncology applications. Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of algorithm choices and discusses the impact of the different algorithm modules to the algorithm performance as well as the implementation issues for clinical use (including data curation challenges and auto-contour evaluations). This book is an ideal guide for radiation oncology centers looking to learn more about potential auto-segmentation tools for their clinic in addition to medical physicists commissioning auto-segmentation for clinical use. Features: Up-to-date with the latest technologies in the field Edited by leading authorities in the area, with chapter contributions from subject area specialists All approaches presented in this book are validated using a standard benchmark dataset established by the Thoracic Auto-segmentation Challenge held as an event of the 2017 Annual Meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Radiosensitizers and Radiochemotherapy in the Treatment of Cancer catalogs and describes the mechanism of action for entities characterized as radiosensitizers. Developments in the biological and physical sciences have introduced new radiosensitizers and defined novel targets for radiosensitization. As a result, a book about radiosensitization must now address a huge range of topics, covering everything from molecular oxygen and high Z elements to monoclonal antibodies and complex phytochemicals. At the molecular level, the understanding of the molecular consequences of DNA damage and the DNA damage response have informed the development of targeted radiosensitizers and shed light on the mode of action of radiochemotherapy protocols of known clinical efficacy. In this book the mechanisms of action at the molecular and cellular level are described for documented radiosensitizers including, where applicable, a brief history of their clinical use and most recent clinical results. In addition, the clinical context is addressed including the importance of factors such as dose and dose rate, normal tissue toxicity, and drug delivery. Intuitively organized by topic and application, the book includes extensive illustrations, end-of-chapter summaries, and a wealth of references.

Combining a professional development course on diagnostic endoscopy from SPIE (the international society advancing light-based research) and the authors’ graduate course on biomedical optics, this work is written for researchers in medical optics and biomedical engineering as well as graduate medical optics students. It uses extensive examples/case studies to familiarize readers with the basics of endoscopic optics, the pros and cons of white light endoscopy and fluorescence endoscopy for diagnostic applications, and various microscopic endoscopy imaging modalities. It covers basic optics, details of design and biomedical uses, as well as microscopic endoscopy, and endoscopic spectroscopy.

In the medical imaging field, clinicians and researchers are increasingly moving from the qualitative assessment of printed images to the quantitative evaluation of digital images since the quantitative techniques often improve diagnostic accuracy and complement clinical assessments by providing objective criteria. Despite this growing interest, the field lacks a comprehensive body of knowledge. Filling the need for a complete manual on these novel techniques, Quantifying Morphology and Physiology of the Human Body Using MRI presents a wide range of quantitative MRI techniques to study the morphology and physiology of the whole body, from the brain to musculoskeletal systems.Illustrating the growing importance of quantitative MRI, the book delivers an indispensable reference for readers who would like to explore in vivo MRI techniques to quantify changes in the morphology and physiology of tissues caused by various disease mechanisms. With internationally renowned experts sharing their insight on the latest developments, the book goes beyond conventional MRI contrast mechanisms to include new techniques that measure electromagnetic and mechanical properties of tissues.Each chapter offers comprehensive information on data acquisition, processing, and analysis techniques as well as clinical applications. The text organizes the techniques based on their primary use either in the brain or the body. Some of the techniques, such as diffusion-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging, span several application areas, including brain imaging, cancer imaging, and musculoskeletal imaging. The book also covers up-and-coming quantitative techniques that explore tissue properties other than the presence of protons (or other MRI-observable nuclei) and their interactions with their environment. These novel techniques provide unique information about the electromagnetic and mechanical properties of tissues and introd

Written by an interdisciplinary team of medical doctors, computer scientists, physicists, engineers, and mathematicians, Correction Techniques in Emission Tomography presents various correction methods used in emission tomography to generate and enhance images. It discusses the techniques from a computer science, mathematics, and physics viewpoint.The book gives a comprehensive overview of correction techniques at different levels of the data processing workflow. It covers nuclear medicine imaging, hybrid emission tomography (PET-CT, SPECT-CT, PET-MRI, PET-ultrasound), and optical imaging (fluorescence molecular tomography). It illustrates basic principles as well as recent advances, such as model-based iterative algorithms and 4D methods. An important aspect of the book is on new and sophisticated motion correction techniques in PET imaging. These techniques enable high-resolution, high-quality images, leading to better imaging analysis and image-based diagnostics.Reflecting state-of-the-art research, this volume explores the range of problems that occur in emission tomography. It looks at how the resulting images are affected and presents practical compensation methods to overcome the problems and improve the images.

The Handbook of Photonics for Biomedical Science analyzes achievements, new trends, and perspectives of photonics in its application to biomedicine. With contributions from world-renowned experts in the field, the handbook describes advanced biophotonics methods and techniques intensively developed in recent years.Addressing the latest problems in biomedical optics and biophotonics, the book discusses optical and terahertz spectroscopy and imaging methods for biomedical diagnostics based on the interaction of coherent, polarized, and acoustically modulated radiation with tissues and cells. It covers modalities of nonlinear spectroscopic microscopies, photonic technologies for therapy and surgery, and nanoparticle photonic technologies for cancer treatment and UV radiation protection. The text also elucidates the advanced spectroscopy and imaging of normal and pathological tissues. This comprehensive handbook represents the next step in contemporary biophotonics advances. By collecting recently published information scattered in the literature, the book enables researchers, engineers, and medical doctors to become familiar with major, state-of-the-art results in biophotonics science and technology.

Intelligent and adaptive techniques are rapidly being used in all stages of medical treatment, from the initial diagnosis to planning delivery and follow-up therapy.To realize the full potential of these techniques, developers and end users must understand both the underlying technology and the specifics of the medical application considered. Focusing on this growing area of interest, Intelligent and Adaptive Systems in Medicine clearly and concisely explains a range of adaptive and intelligent systems, highlighting their benefits and limitations with realistic medical examples.Bringing together theory and practice, this volume describes the application of adaptive and intelligent control as well as intelligent systems in the diagnosis, planning, treatment, and follow up of diseases such as cancer. Each chapter presents a family of an intelligent and adaptive system, explains the techniques and algorithms behind these systems, and explores how to solve medical and biomedical problems using intelligent and adaptive systems. The book focuses on the methods of fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, neuro-fuzzy modeling, adaptive and predictive control, systems and statistical modeling, and image processing. By assessing the use of intelligent and adaptive techniques for medical diagnosis and therapy, this guide promotes further research in this area of “techno-medicine.” It provides researchers and clinicians with the tools and processes that are leading to the invaluable use of intelligent systems in early diagnoses and effective treatment.

Achieving Quality in Brachytherapy addresses the main issues that often prevent correct delivery of brachytherapy treatment. The book explains how to set up a functional quality assurance program in brachytherapy and covers all the steps needed to undertake particular treatment plans, from the initial planning required to the detailed specification. It highlights the importance of planning as a means of controlling and dealing with errors during the treatment process and advises on what to check and how to check during treatment to ensure effective quality assurance. This comprehensive reference is ideal for professionals working in brachytherapy, physics, and radiation oncology, and serves as an introduction for trainees with an undergraduate degree in medical physics or clinical radiation oncology.

Ultrasound in Medicine is a broad-ranging study of medical ultrasound, including ultrasound propagation, interaction with tissue, and innovations in the application of ultrasound in medicine. The book focuses specifically on the science and technology-the underlying physics and engineering. It examines the most closely related aspects of these basic sciences in clinical application and reviews the success of technological innovations in improving medical diagnosis and treatment. The book bridges the gap between tutorial texts widely available for ultrasound and medical training and theoretical works on acoustics.

The ability to manipulate and analyze pictorial information to improve medical diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy via imaging is a valuable tool that every professional working in radiography, medical imaging, and medical physics should utilize. However, previous texts on the subject have only approached the subject from a programming or computer science viewpoint at a mathematically inaccessible level. Unlike these previous publications, A Practical Approach to Medical Imaging Processing provides hands-on instruction, using the freely available software program ImageJ, on all of the skills needed to perform filtering and image enhancement techniques used in structured image discrimination.In this unique text, the author focuses exclusively on image processing and treats medical images in a generic way to highlight the features that all digital images have in common. The book first introduces the main topics in image processing and as it progresses, you will discover relevant points of good practice. The author validates each technique with a corresponding case study, which originates from a published journal article. The case studies demonstrate how the concepts of image processing are applied to real-life situations, such as how to uncover information suffering from distortion and pixel-size limitations. The accompanying downloadable resources contain the Windows version of the ImageJ software, digital images, and documents to be used during the practical activities included in each chapter. With its highly functional workbook approach, A Practical Approach to Medical Image Processing allows you to build your skills in image manipulation and to enjoy the benefits of this valuable field without having to code or develop your own program.

The most important radiotherapy modality used today, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), is the most technologically advanced radiotherapy cancer treatment available, rapidly replacing conformal and three-dimensional techniques. Because of these changes, oncologists and radiotherapists need up-to-date information gathered by physicists and engineers. Focusing on new developments and the preliminary clinical implementation, Contemporary IMRT: Developing Physics and Clinical Implementation discusses the relationship between these advances and applications.Capturing contemporary technological advances, the book reviews modern applications of IMRT and shows how IMRT is used now and how it will be used in the future. The book begins with a historical background of IMRT as well as a discussion of the current state of IMRT. It also covers technical solutions that have been commercialized, such as the sliding window technique, step-and-shoot, tomotherapy, and the Cyberknife. The final chapter explores imaging developments and new planning methods, including gradient-descent and split modulation.Covering recent advancements in IMRT and showing how these techniques and devices have been implemented, Contemporary IMRT: Developing Physics and Clinical Implementation provides state-of-the-art findings for oncologists, radiotherapists, radiographers, physicists, and engineers.

Bone is a complex biological material that consists of both an inorganic and organic phase, which undergoes continuous dynamic biological processes within the body. This complex structure and the need to acquire accurate data have resulted in a wide variety of methods applied in the physical analysis of bone in vivo and in vitro. Each method has its own strengths and applications depending on the information sought by the clinician or researcher.The Physical Measurement of Bone provides a detailed description of all the major methods of bone analysis, including brief comments on clinical evaluation. The physics of each method are introduced as well as a summary of practical procedures. The book is essential reading for practicing medical physicists and technicians who need to know about the many methods of bone analysis open to them, and, more importantly, the wide coverage provides a good introductory framework for students of medical physics and biomedical engineering.

Minimally invasive medicine has the goal of providing health care with minimal trauma. When minimally invasive surgery is utilized, it reduces the length of hospital stays, lowers costs, lowers pain, and reduces blood loss. Other minimally invasive techniques minimize radiation exposure, tissue damage, and drug side effects.Collecting contributions from workers in various fields within the sphere of minimally invasive medical technology, this book provides essential information for those involved with researching, designing, and using minimally invasive devices and systems. It emphasizes the technology required to accomplish minimally invasive medicine. The book will be of interest to biomedical engineers, medical physicists, and health care providers who want to know the technical workings of their devices and instruments.

Prevention of Pressure Sores: Engineering and Clinical Aspects collects together material from throughout the literature. The book first discusses the causes of pressure sores and then describes warning signs and behavior to prevent the incidence of pressure sores. It also examines the numerous different devices used to alleviate and prevent pressure sores, including various types of seat cushions, hospital beds, complex pressure relief methods, wheelchair pressure reliefs, and other preventative methods. After comparing the accuracy of various methods of measuring pressure distributions using different types of sensors, the book discusses the treatment of pressure sores. It contains a large number of references, allowing readers to refer back to the important original work in the different fields of this subject.

This third edition of The Physics of Medical Imaging provides completely new and comprehensive descriptions of the physical principles and concepts which underpin all the medical imaging technologies found in modern hospitals, including x-ray imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear medicine imaging, and ultrasound. In addition, this edition describes a range of new imaging techniques whose clinical impact is beginning to emerge or broaden significantly. With the aid of numerous illustrations, descriptions cover the basic mathematical principles, the design and operation of the imaging technology, and a review of the clinical applications. The criteria which determine imaging system performance are described, with an examination of the advantages and limitations of each modality, and the image artefacts to which each is prone. Additional chapters cover the basic principles of image formation, digital image processing methods, and image registration.Key Features:This thoroughly updated and modernised edition includes descriptions of many new innovations such as ultrasound tomography, susceptibility contrast MRI, and multimodality imaging (e.g. SPECT-CT), and new chapters on emerging imaging modalities such as optical coherence tomography, phase contrast x-ray imaging, and photoacoustic imagingContributors are leading scientists, engineers, and clinicians working on cutting edge research in medical imagingThe conceptual and mathematical descriptions of the imaging methods are accompanied by over 250 new diagrams and imagesContributors have extensive experience of teaching medical imaging physics, ensuring that the content is strongly informed by students’ learning experiences, and by an appreciation of the intellectual challenges confronting students encountering new concepts in medical imagingThis book has been designed to be accessible to readers with a basic physics knowledge wishing to learn about medical imaging for the first time, or to deepen their understanding of diagnostic imaging techniques. This includes undergraduates in physics and engineering, research students, scientists, and healthcare professionals with interests in imaging

This book provides a clinical insight into image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) for prostate cancer. It starts by setting the clinical scene, discussing immobilisation and standard IGRT practice and then considering important developments like IGRT with non-ionising radiation, adaptive radiotherapy, particle therapy, margins, hypofractionation, clinical outcomes, AI and training. Good IGRT requires both technical and clinical focus. So, in complement to our first study guide on IGRT, this book now brings together key, clinical insights into IGRT for Prostate Cancer patients, with a view to helping the professional learn more about ‘how-to’ undertake IGRT for these patients more accurately, effectively and safely, throughout the whole course of a patient’s treatment with radiation.This clinical insight guide will be of interest to newly qualified radiation therapists, therapeutic radiographers, medical dosimetrists, medical physicists, radiotherapy physicists and clinical oncologists. It will also be of use for trainees and can be used alongside continuing competency and clinical training within real clinical departments and radiation therapy centres worldwide.This is the first in a forthcoming series of clinical insights, each tackling a different treatment area. Further areas in the series will be: Head and Neck; Thorax; Breast; Pelvis; and the Brain.Key Features:• Internationally applicable, clinically focused, up-to-date and evidence based.· Accompanied by suitable electronic multimedia resources.· Authored by experts with decades of experience of pioneering electronic portal imaging and IGRT in clinical practice, pedagogic research and substantial experience of teaching/supervising students, trainees and qualified therapists/medical physicists at bachelors, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

Calculating x-ray tube spectra provides a comprehensive review of the modelling of x-ray tube emissions, with a focus on medical imaging and radiotherapy applications. It begins by covering the relevant background, before discussing modelling approaches, including both analytical formulations and Monte Carlo simulation. Historical context is provided, based on the past century of literature, as well as a summary of recent developments and insights. The book finishes with example applications for spectrum models, including beam quality prediction and the calculation of dosimetric and image-quality metrics.This book will be a valuable resource for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students studying medical radiation physics, in addition to those in teaching, research, industry and healthcare settings whose work involves x-ray tubes.Key Features:Covers simple modelling approaches as well as full Monte Carlo simulation of x-ray tubes.Bremsstrahlung and characteristic contributions to the spectrum are discussed in detail.Learning is supported by free open-source software and an online repository of code.An online repository of the code that accompanies this book can be found here: https://bitbucket.org/caxtus

Calculating x-ray tube spectra provides a comprehensive review of the modelling of x-ray tube emissions, with a focus on medical imaging and radiotherapy applications. It begins by covering the relevant background, before discussing modelling approaches, including both analytical formulations and Monte Carlo simulation. Historical context is provided, based on the past century of literature, as well as a summary of recent developments and insights. The book finishes with example applications for spectrum models, including beam quality prediction and the calculation of dosimetric and image-quality metrics.This book will be a valuable resource for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students studying medical radiation physics, in addition to those in teaching, research, industry and healthcare settings whose work involves x-ray tubes.Key Features:Covers simple modelling approaches as well as full Monte Carlo simulation of x-ray tubes.Bremsstrahlung and characteristic contributions to the spectrum are discussed in detail.Learning is supported by free open-source software and an online repository of code.An online repository of the code that accompanies this book can be found here: https://bitbucket.org/caxtus

Fully updated throughout, this second edition of Physiology, Biophysics, and Biomedical Engineering provides a multidisciplinary understanding of biological phenomena and the instrumentation for monitoring these phenomena. Now split into two volumes, it provides a comprehensive introduction for undergraduate courses emphasizing the application of the physical sciences to human physiology in a medical context. Volume 1 tackles human biophysical physiology, while Volume 2 explores biomedical engineering and instrumentation. Developed from the authors’ courses in medical biophysics and biomedical instrumentation, this book shows how biophysics and biomedical engineering have advanced modern medicine. It brings together the physical principles underlying human physiological processes and the physical methods used to monitor these processes. Requiring mostly only basic mathematical knowledge, the text supplements mathematical formulae with qualitative explanations and illustrations to encourage an intuitive grasp on the processes discussed.Key Features:Offers a multidisciplinary approach to human biological systems and highlights the application of physics and engineering methods to medicine and biology.Gives readers a solid basis for understanding the physiological processes in the human body.Incorporates a range of numerical problems with worked solutions and provides MATLAB® and some Python code for advanced mathematical analysis of physiological and clinical monitoring systems.

This book presents an up to date ethical framework for radiological protection in medicine. It is consistent with the requirements of the system of radiation protection and with the expectations of medical ethics. It presents an approach rooted in the medical tradition, and alert to contemporary social expectations. It provides readers with a practical framework against which they can assess the safety and acceptability of medical procedures, including patients’ concerns. It will be an invaluable reference for radiologists, radiation oncologists, regulators, medical physicists, technologists, other practitioners, as well as academics, researchers and students of radiation protection in medicine.Features: An authoritative and accessible guide, authored by a team who have contributed to defining the area internationallyIncludes numerous practical examples/clinical scenarios that illustrate the approach, presenting a pragmatic approach, rather than dwelling on philosophical theoriesInformed by the latest developments in the thinking of international organizations

Augmented reality (AR) is transforming how we work, learn, play and connect with the world, and is now being introduced to the field of medicine, where it is revolutionising healthcare as pioneering virtual elements are being added to real images to provide a more compelling and intuitive view during procedures. This book, which had its beginnings at the AE-CAI: Augmented Environments for Computer-Assisted Interventions MICCAI Workshop in Munich in 2015, is the first to review the area of mixed and augmented reality in medicine. Covering a range of examples of the use of AR in medicine, it explores its relevance to minimally-invasive interventions, how it can improve the accuracy of a procedure and reduce procedure time, and how it may be employed to reduce radiation risks. It also discusses how AR can be an effective tool in the education of physicians, medical students, nurses and other health professionals.Features:An ideal practical guide for medical professionals and students looking to understand the implementation, applications, and future of AR Contains the latest developments and technologies in this innovative fieldEdited by highly respected pioneers in the field, who have been immersed in AR as well as virtual reality and image-guided surgery since their inception, with chapter contributions from subject area specialists working with AR

The first MATLAB® programming book written specifically for clinical radiotherapy medical physicists and medical physics trainees, this much-needed book teaches users how to create their own clinical applications using MATLAB®, as a complement to commercial software particularly when the latter does not cover specific local clinical needs. Chapters explore key radiotherapy areas such as handling volumes, 3D dose calculation, comparing dose distributions, reconstructing treatment plans and their summations, and automated tests for machine quality assurance. Readers will learn to independently analyse and process images, doses, structures, and other radiotherapy clinical data to deal with standard and non-standard situations in radiotherapy. This book will also significantly improve understanding of areas such as data nature, information content, DICOM RT standard, and data flow. It will be an invaluable reference for students of medical physics, in addition to clinical radiotherapy physicists and researchers working in radiotherapy.Features:Includes real clinical medical physics applications derived from actual clinical problemsProvides commented MATLAB® scripts working with sample data and/or own data matching input requirementsPromotes critical thinking and practical problem solving skills

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 informaticsThe advantages and limitations of each technology in clinical settings are discussed, and recommendations on how to adopt the technologies are providedCritiques and improvement points are provided for researchers, in addition to suggestions on how to prepare quality assurance are provided as needed

Hadron therapy is a groundbreaking new method of treating cancer. Boasting greater precision than other therapies, this therapy is now utilised in many clinical settings and the field is growing. More than 50 medical facilities currently perform (or are planned to perform) this treatment, with this number set to double by 2020. This new text covers the most recent advances in hadron therapy, exploring the physics, technology, biology, diagnosis, clinical applications, and economics behind the therapy. Providing essential and up-to-date information on recent developments in the field, this book will be of interest to current and aspiring specialists from a wide range of backgrounds.Features:Multidisciplinary approach: explores the physics, IT (big data), biology, clinical applications from imaging to treatment, clinical trials, and economics associated with hadron therapyContains the latest research and developments in this rapidly evolving field, and integrates them into the current global challenges for radiation therapy Edited by recognised leaders in the field, including the co-ordinator of ENLIGHT (the European Network for Light Ion Hadron Therapy), with chapter contributions from international leading experts in the field

Common factors that lead to treatment failure in head and neck cancer are the lack of tumour oxygenation, the accelerated division of cancer cells during treatment, and radioresistance. These tumour-related challenges and possible ways to overcome them are covered in this book, authored by three medical physicists and a clinical oncologist who explain how different radiobiological findings have led to the development of various treatment techniques for head and neck cancer. Novel treatment techniques as supported by current scientific evidence are comprehensively explored, as well as the major challenges that arise in the retreatment of patients who have already undergone a form of radiotherapy for primary head and neck cancer.Features:Uses an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing clinical aspects of radiotherapy, radiation biology, and medical physicsApplies content by relating all radiobiological characteristics to their respective clinical implications Explains the radiobiological rationale for all previous and current clinical trials for head and neck cancer