This handbook is designed to enable radiation oncologists to treat patients appropriately and confidently by means of particle therapy. The orientation and purpose are entirely practical, in that the focus is on the physics essentials of delivery and treatment planning , illustration of the clinical target volume (CTV) and associated treatment planning for each major malignancy when using particle therapy, proton therapy in particular. Disease-specific chapters provide guidelines and concise knowledge on CTV selection and delineation and identify aspects that require the exercise of caution during treatment planning. The treatment planning techniques unique to proton therapy for each disease site are clearly described, covering beam orientation, matching/patching field techniques, robustness planning, robustness plan evaluation, etc. The published data on the use of particle therapy for a given disease site are also concisely reported. In addition to fully meeting the needs of radiation oncologists, this "know why" and “know how” guide to particle therapy will be valuable for medical physicists, dosimetrists, and radiation therapists.

Principles and Practice of Particle Therapy Although radiation has been used therapeutically for over 100 years, the field of radiation oncology is currently in the midst of a renaissance, particularly with regards to the therapeutic use of particles. Over the past several years, access to particle therapy, whether it be proton therapy or other heavy ion therapy, has increased dramatically. Principles and Practice of Particle Therapy is a clinically oriented resource that can be referenced by both experienced clinicians and those who are just beginning their venture into particle therapy. Written by a team with significant experience in the field, topics covered include: Background information related to particle therapy, including the clinically relevant physics, radiobiological, and practical aspects of developing a particle therapy program “Niche” treatments, such as FLASH, BNCT, and GRID therapy The simulation process, target volume delineation, and unique treatment planning considerations for each disease site Less commonly used ions, such as fast neutrons or helium Principles and Practice of Particle Therapy is a go-to reference work for any health professional involved in the rapidly evolving field of particle therapy.

“This is a high quality book with directions and guidelines on how to generate valid treatment plans in the modern era of radiation oncology. It is very useful for any student (dosimetry, therapy, physicist, or physician) who is entering a practical treatment planning rotation...It is written as a companion to the Handbook of Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology, 2nd edition, Videtic et al. (Demos Medical Publishing, 2015), and pairs very well with it.” Score: 88, 3 Stars, Doody’s Medical Reviews “Comparing with earlier published books about radiotherapy treatment planning, which are prone to the pedagogical side as textbooks, this new book serves an unmet need as a pocket-sized book with details and up to date information for user’s quick resource for treatment planning knowledge... “Strategies for Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning” is a handy and essential reference for modern treatment planning. It is therefore recommended as a valuable book for the bookshelf and pocket of everyone involved in radiotherapy treatment planning.” -- Dr. Chengyu Shi of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Strategies for Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning provides radiation oncologists, physicists, and dosimetrists with a step-by-step guide to implementing external beam treatment plans that meet clinical requirements for each major disease site. As a companion book to the Handbook of Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology Second Edition, this book focuses on the technical aspects of treatment planning and the major challenges in creating highly conformal dose distributions, referenced to as treatment plans, for external beam radiotherapy. To overcome challenges associated with each step, leading experts at the Cleveland Clinic have consolidated their knowledge and experience of treatment planning techniques, potential pitfalls, and other difficulties to develop quality plans across the gamut of clinical scenarios in radiation therapy. The book begins with an overview of external beam treatment planning principles, inverse planning and advanced planning tools, and descriptions of all components in simulation and verification. Following these introductory chapters are disease-site examples, including central nervous system, head and neck, breast, thoracic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic, lymphoma, and soft tissue sarcoma. The book concludes with expert guidance on planning for pediatric cancers and how to tailor palliative plans. Essential for all radiation therapy team members, including trainees, this book is for those who wish to learn or improve their treatment planning skills and understand the different treatment planning processes, plan evaluation, and patient setup. KEY FEATURES: Provides basic principles of treatment planning Contains step-by-step, illustrated descriptions of the treatment planning process Discusses the pros and cons of advanced treatment planning tools, such as auto-planning, knowledge-based planning, and multi-criteria based planning Describes each primary treatment site from simulation, patient immobilization, and creation of various treatment plans to plan evaluations Includes instructive sample plans to highlight best practices