This book elucidates the radiation therapy protocols and procedures for the management of adult patients presenting with primary benign and malignant central nervous system tumors. With the development of new treatment strategies and rapid advancement of radiation technology, it is crucial for radiation oncologists to maintain and refine their knowledge and skills. Dedicated exclusively to adult CNS radiation oncology, this textbook explores CNS tumors ranging from the common to the esoteric as well as secondary cancers of metastatic origin. The first half of the book is organized anatomically: tumors of the brain, spinal cord, leptomeninges, optic pathway, ocular choroid, and skull base. The second half covers primary CNS lymphoma, rare CNS tumors, metastatic brain disease, vascular conditions of the CNS, radiation-associated complications, and radiation modalities. Each chapter provides guidance on treatment field design, target delineation, and normal critical structure tolerance constraints in the context of the disease being treated. Learning objectives, case studies, and Maintenance of Certification Self-Assessment Continuing Medical Education-style questions and answers are incorporated throughout the book. This is an ideal guide for radiation oncologists, residents, and fellows, but medical students may also find value in the text.

Knowledge about the etiology and diagnosis as well as treatment concepts of neu- oncologic diseases is rapidly growing. This turnover of knowledge makes it dif? cult for the physician engaged in the treatment to keep up to date with current therapies. This book sets out to close the gap and pursues several innovative concepts. As a comprehensive text on neuro-oncology, its chapters are interconnected, but at the same time some chapters or subdivisions are so thoroughly assembled that the whole volume gives the impression of several books combined into one. Neuropathology is treated in an extensive and clearly structured section. The int- ested reader ? nds for each tumor entity the latest well-referenced consensus rega- ing histologic and molecular pathology. Through this “book-in-the-book” concept, information on neuropathology is readily at hand in a concise form and without ov- loading the single chapters. Pediatric neuro-oncology differs in many entities from tumors in adult patients; also, certain tumors of the CNS are typically or mainly found only in the child. Therefore, pediatric neuro-oncology was granted its own, book-like section. Tumor entities that are treated differently in children and adults are included both in the pediatric neuro-oncology section and in the general section. Entities that typically occur only in the child and adolescent are found in the pediatric section in order to avoid redundancies.

This book reviews the principles and applications of radiotherapy in the management of pediatric brain tumors to allow the reader to gain a full appreciation of the major aspects involved in caring for these patients. Individual sections are devoted to basic principles, specific management for the full range of tumor entities, radiotherapy techniques, and potential toxicities and their management. The book is written and edited by world leaders in pediatric radiotherapy, and care has been taken to cover the latest advances in diagnosis and radiotherapy techniques. Pediatric brain tumors represent a diverse group of neoplasms that require carefully planned management for successful definitive treatment. Radiotherapy is one of the fundamental components in treatment for the majority of these vulnerable patients. The optimal radiation therapy approach will depend on multiple factors, including tumor type and location, extent of disease, age of the patient, and other therapies. A thorough understanding of the natural history of the disease, communication with the multidisciplinary team, full knowledge of available radiotherapy techniques, and consideration of potential acute and late toxicities are therefore essential for each patient.

The main objective of this book is to provide radiation oncologists with a clear, up-to-date guide to tumor delineation and contouring of organs at risk. With this in mind, a detailed overview of recent advances in imaging for radiation treatment planning is presented. Novel concepts for target volume delineation are explained, taking into account the innovations in imaging technology. Special attention is paid to the role of the newer imaging modalities, such as positron emission tomography and diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging. All of the most important tumor entities treated with radiation therapy are covered in the book. Each chapter is devoted to a particular tumor type and has been written by a recognized expert in that topic.

Though the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) tumors has been challenging, new advances have helped us better understand the molecular and genetic makeup of many tumor types, and new chemotherapies and immunotherapies have extended survival in patients with aggressive primary CNS tumors. This book discusses pediatric and adult tumors of the CNS, the classification schemes used to categorize them, advances in surgical techniques, and several important genetic alterations found in these tumors. We hope this book contributes to the reader’s understanding of these tumors and provides the most up-to-date and cutting-edge discoveries in this exciting field.

Intracranial germ cell tumors are a group of uncommon neoplasms of the central nervous system. The clinical features and natural history of these lesions are quite unique and variable. While intracranial germ cell tumors have been a fascination to neurooncologists for decades, the relatively small number of patients seen in any single institution has hampered the important clinical investigation that is so needed. This text is complete with detailed information concerning the epidemiology, pathology, oncological biology, clinical findings, radiology, and treatment options including surgical strategy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy for this heterogeneous group of neoplasms. The ongoing clinical trials concerning the optimization of therapy are efficiently summarized. An important final segment addresses the late sequelae of therapy which is of great significance since the majority suffering from these tumors are young patients. This first and only book on intracranial germ cell tumors includes excellent and comprehensive data sheets, illustrations, and radiograms. It provides a detailed and outstanding reference source for physicians taking care of patients with intracranial germ cell tumors, and will be a very welcome edition to their reference libraries.

In this issue of Hematology/Oncology Clinics, guest editor David A. Reardon? brings his considerable expertise to the topic of Central Nervous System Malignancies. Top experts in the field cover key topics such as CNS Metastases, Leptomeningeal Disease, Neurofibromatoses, Imaging Advances for CNS Tumors, and more. Contains 16 relevant, practice-oriented topics including CNS Tumor Classification: An Update on the Integration of Tumor Genetics; Etiology and Epidemiology of CNS Tumors; The Evolving Role of Neurosurgical Intervention for CNS Tumor ; Update on Radiation Therapy for CNS Tumors; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on CNS Malignancies, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.