Introduction to Particle Therapy

An Educational Handbook
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-60650-7
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 432 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 453 g

“Introduction to Particle Therapy: An Educational Handbook” provides a clear and accessible overview of modern particle radiation therapy. Aimed at students, physicists and researchers in particle beam therapy, it explains the fundamental physics of proton and heavy-ion beams and how their distinctive depth-dose profiles enable highly targeted cancer treatment with minimal damage to healthy tissue.

It explores the latest, cutting-edge research in accelerator technology, beam-delivery systems, treatment-planning methods, radiobiology, and dosimetry and safety. The book also examines the engineering design of particle therapy machines, outlining key components, system architectures and performance considerations. Chapters on particle radiation biology, image-guidance technologies and inverse optimization methods illustrate the principles required for precise and adaptive treatment delivery. Emerging developments, such as ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH) therapy, next-generation planning strategies and continuing technological innovations, are highlighted to contextualize current research and future directions.

With clear illustrations, structured explanations and contributions from international experts, this handbook serves both as an authoritative introduction for newcomers and a practical reference for those advancing in the field.

Key features:

- An educational handbook for students interested in learning about particle beam therapy.

- Includes exercises, matRad code and data, alongside open software for treatment planning

- Can be used in conjunction with the masterclass courses offered every year by CERN/HITriplus consortium.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate, Professional Practice & Development, and Professional Training

Autoren/Hrsg.

Foka, Panagiota

Seco, Joao

Vretenar, Maurizio

Fachgebiete

• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Medizinische Fachgebiete Bildgebende Verfahren, Nuklearmedizin, Strahlentherapie Radiologie, Bildgebende Verfahren
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Naturwissenschaften, Technik, Medizin
• Medizin | Veterinärmedizin Medizin | Public Health | Pharmazie | Zahnmedizin Klinische und Innere Medizin Onkologie, Krebsforschung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preamble, Chapter 1: Introduction to Ion Beam Therapy, Chapter 2: Radiobiology, Chapter 3: Accelerators for Particle Therapy, Chapter 4: Imaging for Particle Therapy, Chapter 5: Treatment Planning in Particle Therapy, Chapter 6: Future Trends

Über Autor(innen)

Dr. Panagiota (Yiota) Foka is a senior heavy-ion researcher at GSI delegated at CERN, since 2000, where she contributed to the preparation of ALICE experiment serving as deputy physics and data quality monitoring coordinator, member of the first physics task force, co-authored the first LHC publication. Since 2018 contributing to the Next Ion Medical Machine Study CERN group and related activities within EU-supported projects. Initiator and coordinator of the PTMC international educational project, developed in collaboration with CERN and DKFZ.

Prof. Joao Seco earned his PhD from the University of London’s Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital. After serving as Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, he joined the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg in 2016, leading particle beam research. His work spans prompt gamma and particle imaging, FLASH, and SFRT. He is Chair of Medical Physics at Heidelberg University, chairs ESMPE, and serves on AAPM TG359.

Dr. Maurizio Vretenar is a senior accelerator physicist and project leader at CERN, that he joined in 1988 to work on design, construction, and operation of linear particle accelerators. He has been project leader for the construction of Linac4, the LHC’s new injector, and later coordinated a series of EU-supported projects for accelerator R&D. His recent work focuses on accelerators for societal applications, particularly for medical use, leading CERN’s Next Ion Medical Machine Study.