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Technical Basis of Radiation Therapy pp 85–132Cite as

Physics of Radiotherapy Planning and Delivery

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Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Radiat Oncol))

Abstract

A solid foundation in the physics concepts used in the planning and delivery of the cancer patient’s radiation therapy is one of the fundamental cornerstones for the practice of radiation therapy. The essential concepts are discussed in this chapter, including a brief review of modern treatment machines, basic dosimetry parameters used in treatment planning, monitor unit and dose calculation methods, dose calculation algorithms and correction factors for the effects of patient topography and internal heterogeneities, isodose distributions for various combined fields, peripheral dose, field junctions, field shaping and special considerations including patients with cardiac pacemakers, fetal dose and gonadal dose. These topics are presented in detail suitable for practicing radiation oncologists and physician residents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    James A. Purdy

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute Verbeeten, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Philip Poortmans

  3. Department of Radiation Oncology, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA

    Carlos A. Perez

  4. Department of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Seymour H. Levitt

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  1. James A. Purdy
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  2. Philip Poortmans
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  3. Carlos A. Perez
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  4. Seymour H. Levitt
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Correspondence to James A. Purdy .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institutet Stockholm Sweden, MMC 436, Dept.of Oncol-Pathol Karolinska, Delaware St. SE 420, Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Seymour H. Levitt

  2. UC Davis Cancer Center, Dept. Radiation Oncology, University of California, Davis, X Street 4501, Sacramento, 95817, California, USA

    James A. Purdy

  3. School of Medicine, Dept. Radiation Oncology, Washington University, Forest Park Ave. 4511, St. Louis, 63108-2138, Michigan, USA

    Carlos A. Perez

  4. Instituut Verbeeten, Tilburg, 5042 SB, Netherlands

    Philip Poortmans

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Purdy, J.A., Poortmans, P., Perez, C.A., Levitt, S.H. (2011). Physics of Radiotherapy Planning and Delivery. In: Levitt, S., Purdy, J., Perez, C., Poortmans, P. (eds) Technical Basis of Radiation Therapy. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2011_320

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