Radiation Oncology: Radiobiological and Physiological Perspectives: The boundary-zone between clinical radiotherapy and fundamental radiobiology and physiology (Developments in Oncology (60))

During the past four decades knowledge about biological effects of ionizing radiations on mammalian cells, normal tissues and tumours has increased enormously and has enabled radiotherapists to obtain a better insight into the advantages and disadvantages of cancer treatments with modified regimens of irradiations and combinations with chemotherapeutic agents. Even for the older scientists and clinicians who have wit­ nessed all these developments and have contributed to the vast amount of information, it is difficult to integrate this knowledge and to apply it in their daily work. For younger workers it is often difficult to select the important main concepts and results from the overwhelming number of publications. It is evident that a book which provides an integrated view of basic and applied radiation oncology can be of great value to students, scientists and, most importantly, to clinicians who can devote only part of their time to the task of understanding the radiobiological background of their application of radiation in cancer treatment. This book "Radiation Oncology" is written by a radiotherapist who has for a long time participated in the integration of basic knowledge and clinical experience. He has selected radiobiological information which is considered important to radiotherapy and in the description and interpretation of normal tissue tolerance and tumour eradication probability, he illustrates how basic knowledge can be applied clinically. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Overall Radiobiological Effect: The Evolution of Radiation Damage....Pages 3-15 Front Matter....Pages 17-17 Dose Survival Relationships: Methodology, Forms, and Interpretations....Pages 19-52 Some Modifiers of Dose-Response Relationships....Pages 53-83 Interaction of Radiation and Chemotherapeutic Agents....Pages 85-106 Front Matter....Pages 107-107 Radiation Effects on Normal Tissues: General Principles....Pages 109-127 Dose-Time-Volume Relationships in Normal Tissue Response to Irradiation....Pages 129-187 Early Reacting Tissues: Skin....Pages 189-221 Early Reacting Tissues: The Haematopoietic Tissue....Pages 223-246 Early Reacting Tissues: The Lymphoid Tissue and the Immune System....Pages 247-290 Early Reacting Tissues: The Digestive Tract....Pages 291-322 Early Reacting Tissues: The Testes....Pages 323-344 Radiation Effects on the Ovary: A Nonrenewal System....Pages 345-356 Late Reacting Tissues: Radiation-Induced Lung Damage....Pages 357-393 Late Reacting Tissues: The Urinary Tract....Pages 395-420 Late Reacting Normal Tissues: Radiation-Induced Liver Damage....Pages 421-427 Late Reacting Tissues: Radiation-Induced Damage to the Central Nervous System....Pages 429-447 Late Reacting Tissues: Radiation-Induced Heart Disease....Pages 449-456 Front Matter....Pages 457-457 Tumour Growth: Organization of Tumour Proliferative Activity....Pages 459-472 Tumour Growth: Patterns, Parameters and Measurement....Pages 473-491 Analysis of the Growth Parameters of Human Tumours: Clinical Implications....Pages 493-517 Front Matter....Pages 457-457 Tumour Radiation Response: A. Response to a Single Dose....Pages 519-539 Tumour Radiation Response: B. Response to Multifraction and Protracted Low Dose Rate Irradiation....Pages 541-591 Hypoxia in Solid Tumours and Normal Tissues: Clinical Implications....Pages 593-645 Estimates of the Outcome of Radiotherapy. Accuracy Requirements....Pages 647-665 Back Matter....Pages 667-682