Radiotherapy using fast electrons, whether alone or in combination with high-voltage, has met with increasing interest in the last few years. This book provides a useful account of the present state of knowledge and critically discusses where an improvement of results is certain or prob able - in contrast to results with radiotherapy using photons alone. The work also considers additional improvements which might be expected to accrue from past experience and particular attention is paid to the nature and possible dangers of electron therapy. Bern, August 1980 A. Zuppinger Contents Opening Address A. Zuppinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........... . . . . . . . . . . Physical Section Introduction J .L. Minchole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Computer Treatment Planning of Lung Radiation by Means of High Energy Electrons G. Poretti, F. Ionesco-Farca, and P. Veraguth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Electron Beam Quality Parameters and Absorbed Dose Distributions from Therapy Accelerators A. Brahme and H. Svensson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . Surface Dose in Electron Beams and Association with High Energy X-Ray Beams J.C. Ro senwald. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . . . . . Electronic Wedge Filter for the Asklepitron 45 R. Hilnig, A.v.Arx, and A. Scholz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 . . . . . . Magnetic Field Modification of Electron Beam Dose Distributions in Inhomogeneous Media B.R. Paliwal and A.L. Wiley, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . . Conclusions of the Physical Section J.C. Rosenwald. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 . . . . . . . . . . Clinical Section Clinical Radiobiology A. Zuppinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 . . . . . . . . . . Indications for Electron Beam Therapy J.P.Bataini ............................................ 37 Contents VIII The Electron Beam Therapy for Malignant Tumors: Indications and Limitations E. Scherer and M. Bamberg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . . Electron Therapy for Cutaneous Epitheliomas H. Pourquier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 . . . . . . . . . ."