Khan’s The Physics of Radiation Therapy, 5th edition

Book Preface

Most textbooks on radiological physics present a broad field that includes physics of radiation therapy, diagnosis, and nuclear medicine. The emphasis is on the basic physical principles which form a common foundation for these areas. Consequently, the topics of practical interest are discussed only sparingly or completely left out. The need is felt for a book solely dedicated to radiation therapy physics with emphasis on the practical details.

This book is written primarily with the needs of residents and clinical physicists in mind. Therefore, greater emphasis is given to the practice of physics in the clinic. For the residents, the book provides both basic radiation physics and physical aspects of treatment planning, using photon beams, electron beams, and brachytherapy sources. For the clinical physicist, additionally, current information is provided on dosimetry.

Except for some sections in the book that deal with the theory of absorbed dose measurements, the book should also appeal to the radiotherapy technologists. Of particular interest to them are the sections on treatment techniques, patient setups, and dosimetric calculations.

Since the book is designed for a mixed audience, a careful balance had to be maintained between theory and practical details. A conscious effort was made to make the subject palatable to those not formally trained in physics (e.g., residents and technicians) without diminishing the value of the book to the physicist. This object was hopefully achieved by a careful selection of the topics, simplification of the mathematical formalisms, and ample references to the relevant literature.

In developing this text, I have been greatly helped by my physics colleagues, Drs. Jeff Williamson, Chris Deibel, Barry Werner, Ed Cytacki, Bruce Gerbi, and Subhash Sharma. I wish to thank them for reviewing the text in its various stages of development. My great appreciation goes to Sandi Kuitunen who typed the manuscript and provided the needed organization for this lengthy project. I am also thankful to Kathy Mitchell and Lynne Olson who prepared most of the illustrations for the book.

Finally, I greatly value my association with Dr. Seymour Levitt, the chairman of this department, from whom I got much of the clinical philosophy I needed as a physicist.

Faiz M. Khan