This book presents the most up-to-date and innovative information on the targeting and treatment of a wide range of childhood cancers by means of radiation therapy. Written by global experts in pediatric radiation oncology, it documents in detail the treatment regimens appropriate to each disease, highlighting the recent advances that promise to improve rates of survival and cure. The use of image-guided and intensity-modulated radiation therapy is clearly described, and careful attention is also devoted to the roles of proton therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic fractionated radiosurgery, and modulated arc radiotherapy. Separate chapters address localization and verification procedures and anesthesia; pediatric radiation oncology in the palliative care setting; and aspects that are especially relevant in low- and medium-income countries. Beyond clinical radiation oncology, relevant information is provided on radiation physics. The book concludes by examining future directions in the field.

Since the late 1960s, the survival rate in children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer has steadily improved, with a corresponding decline in the cancer-specific death rate. Although the improvements in survival are encouraging, they have come at the cost of acute, chronic, and late adverse effects precipitated by the toxicities associated with the individual or combined use of different types of treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). In some cases, the impairments resulting from cancer and its treatment are severe enough to qualify a child for U.S. Social Security Administration disability benefits. At the request of Social Security Administration, Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum provides current information and findings and conclusions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of selected childhood cancers, including different types of malignant solid tumors, and the effect of those cancers on childrenâ (TM)s health and functional capacity, including the relative levels of functional limitation typically associated with the cancers and their treatment. This report also provides a summary of selected treatments currently being studied in clinical trials and identifies any limitations on the availability of these treatments, such as whether treatments are available only in certain geographic areas.

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 is a comprehensive and up-to-date compendium of all aspects of brain tumors in children. After introductory chapters on the epidemiology of brain tumors, the book will provide readers with state-of-the art chapters on the principals of radiation therapy, neurosurgery and neuroimaging. Subsequent chapters discuss the biology and treatment of specific types of brain tumors. The concluding chapters present critical information relevant to survivorship, neurocognitive and other late effects, and the global challenges to better diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors in children. This book is co-authored by experts in the treatment of pediatric brain tumors. All of the authors are internationally recognized authorities and they offer an evidence-based consensus on the biology and treatment of brain tumors. This handbook has far-reaching applicability to the clinical diagnosis and management of brain tumors in children and will prove valuable to specialists, generalists and trainees alike.

“The editors...have done an outstanding job of presenting...complex information in a lucid manner – this book is a must-read for the global community of aspiring students and neuro-oncology practitioners.” Amar Gajjar, MD in the Foreword This is a succinct introduction to pediatric neuro-oncology. It summarizes the key advances in molecular biology that have helped transform this rapidly evolving field and provides up-to-date coverage of major and emerging treatment modalities as well as supportive care. Separate chapters present each kind of pediatric brain cancer and its diagnosis and treatment. As more children survive brain cancer, the importance of quality of life issues and helping survivors to cope with the neuropsychological impact and long-term effects of current therapies has come into sharper focus; these topics are also addressed in the book, as are palliative care and pediatric neuro-oncology in countries with limited resources. The book is aimed at trainees and practitioners who seek an up-to-date text in pediatric neuro-oncology that is both comprehensive and concise.

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.