Therapeutic Applications of Monte Carlo Calculations in Nuclear Medicine (Series in Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering)

Therapeutic Applications of Monte Carlo Calculations in Nuclear Medicine examines the applications of Monte Carlo (MC) calculations in therapeutic nuclear medicine, from basic principles to computer implementations of software packages and their applications in radiation dosimetry and treatment planning. With chapters written by recognized authorities in the field, the book covers the entire range of MC applications in therapeutic medical and health physics, from its use in imaging prior to therapy to dose distribution modeling in targeted radiotherapy. The contributors discuss the fundamental concepts of radiation dosimetry, radiobiological aspects of targeted radionuclide therapy, and the various components and steps required for implementing a dose calculation and treatment planning methodology in radioimmunotherapy. Several computer programs, such as MIRDOSE, MABDOS, and 3D-ID, are described and illustrated with some useful features and clinical applications. Other potential applications of MC techniques are discussed together with computing aspects of radiation transport calculations. The book is written for nuclear medicine physicists and physicians as well as radiation oncologists, and can serve as a supplementary text for medical imaging, radiation dosimetry, and nuclear engineering graduate courses in science, medical, and engineering institutions. Contents......Page 7 List of contributors......Page 15 Preface......Page 18 1. The Monte Carlo method: theory and computational issues......Page 21 2. Monte Carlo techniques in nuclear medicine dosimetry......Page 48 3. Medical imaging techniques for radiation dosimetry......Page 75 4. Computational methods in internal radiation dosimetry......Page 104 5. Mathematical models of the human anatomy......Page 128 6. Monte Carlo codes for use in therapeutic nuclear medicine......Page 153 7. Dose point-kernels for radionuclide dosimetry......Page 178 8. Radiobiology aspects and radionuclide selection criteria in cancer therapy......Page 195 9. Microdosimetry of targeted radionuclides......Page 222 10. The MABDOSE program for internal radionuclide dosimetry......Page 248 11. The three-dimensional internal dosimetry software package, 3D-ID......Page 269 12. Evaluation and validation of dose calculation procedures in patient-specific radionuclide therapy......Page 282 13. Monte Carlo methods and mathematical models for the dosimetry of skeleton and bone marrow......Page 306 14. Monte Carlo modelling of dose distributions in intravascular radiation therapy......Page 330 15. The Monte Carlo method as a design tool in boron neutron capture synovectomy......Page 344 16. Summary......Page 368 Biosketches......Page 370 Index......Page 381 "This book examines the applications of Monte Carlo (MC) calculations in therapeutic nuclear medicine, from basic principles to computer implementations of software packages and their applications in radiation dosimetry and treatment planning. It is written for nuclear medicine physicists and physicians as well as radiation oncologists, and can serve as a supplementary text for medical imaging radiation dosimetry and nuclear engineering graduate courses in science, medical and engineering faculties."--BOOK JACKET Usually, physicists and mathematicians like to give funny names to things that are otherwise boring.