Discusses past and present advancements of IMRT and examines future applications

Presents the basics of IMRT, forming a foundation for points of debate

Examines in depth the role of the multileaf collimator (MLC) in the delivery of IMRT

Provides clinical outcome data of IMRT with respect to the prostate, breast, head-and-neck, and bladder

Explores the influence of 3D medical imaging, new inverse-planning methods, and new forward-planning methods

Supplies many tables and figures that illustrate various techniques, concepts, and devices, such as the treatment planning systems, KONRAD and CADPLAN

The most important radiotherapy modality used today, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), is the most technologically advanced radiotherapy cancer treatment available, rapidly replacing conformal and three-dimensional techniques. Because of these changes, oncologists and radiotherapists need up-to-date information gathered by physicists and engineers. Focusing on new developments and the preliminary clinical implementation, Contemporary IMRT: Developing Physics and Clinical Implementation discusses the relationship between these advances and applications.

Capturing contemporary technological advances, the book reviews modern applications of IMRT and shows how IMRT is used now and how it will be used in the future. The book begins with a historical background of IMRT as well as a discussion of the current state of IMRT. It also covers technical solutions that have been commercialized, such as the sliding window technique, step-and-shoot, tomotherapy, and the Cyberknife. The final chapter explo