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Clinical Radiobiology and Physics

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Handbook of Evidence-Based Radiation Oncology

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Abstract

The Four Rs of Radiobiology (rationale for fractionation of radiation) Repair – refers to DNA repair in response to sublethal or potentially lethal radiation damage. Fractionation of radiation allows normal tissues time to repair. Reassortment – refers to radioresistant cells that synchronize into a more radiosensitive phase of the cell cycle after a fraction of radiation. Over multiple fractions, more and more cells are redistributed into these radiosensitive phases. Repopulation – refers to tumor cell proliferation during the course of radiation therapy. This can be problematic with very low dose rates (VLDRs) or prolonged treatment durations. Reoxygenation – refers to the importance of oxygen in mediating the cytotoxic effects of radiation due to free radical production. As normoxic tumor cells are killed with each fraction, formerly hypoxic cells become oxygenated.

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Further Reading

  • Hall EJ, Amato JC. Radiobiology for the Radiologist. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.

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  • ICRU. ICRU Report 50 – Prescribing, Recording and Reporting Photon Beam Therapy. Med Phys 21(6):833-4, 1994.

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  • ICRU. Prescribing, Recording and Reporting Photon Beam Therapy (Supplement to ICRU Report 50), ICRU Report 62. Bethesda: ICRU, 1999.

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  • ICRU. Prescribing, Recording and Reporting Photon Beam Therapy (Supplement to ICRU Report 50), ICRU Report 62. Bethesda: ICRU, 1999.

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  • Kahn, FM. The Physics of Radiation Therapy. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Paula Petti and John Murnane for their Physics and Radiobiology teaching, which assisted in the preparation of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Gautam Prasad MD, PhD

  2. Physics Division, Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Jean Pouliot PhD

Authors
  1. Gautam Prasad MD, PhD
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  2. Jean Pouliot PhD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Div. Radiation Oncology, Oregon Clinic, SW. Barnes Rd. 9205, Portland, 97225, Oregon, USA

    Eric K. Hansen

  2. Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, Divisadero Street, Suite H-1031 1600, San Francisco, 94143, California, USA

    Mack Roach

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag New York

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Prasad, G., Pouliot, J. (2010). Clinical Radiobiology and Physics. In: Hansen, E., Roach, M. (eds) Handbook of Evidence-Based Radiation Oncology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92988-0_43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-92988-0_43

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-92987-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-92988-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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