Recent advances in radiation oncology have depended upon and are intertwined with subsequent scientific discoveries and the development of new techniques in the fields of radiation and molecular biology, physics, electrical engineering, surgery, and medical oncology. This volume describes how some of the recent discoveries in the radiological sciences have influenced the way radiation oncology is practised. As there are many advances in this field, the Editors have chosen to concentrate on selected topics in clinical radiotherapy, radiation physics and biology, and technical innovations that have had a major impact on radiation oncology in the past twenty years. It is hoped that the techniques described in this volume will increase tumor control and prolong patient survival and at the same time decrease radiation-induced side effects and complications.

The series "Medical Radiology - Diagnostic Imaging and Radiation Oncology" is the successor to the well known "Encyclopedia of Medical RadiologyjHandbuch der medizinischen Radiologie." This international handbook with its unique compila tion of data in more than fifty volumes lags behind the fast developing knowledge in radiology today. "Medical Radiology" brings the state of the art on special topics in a timely fashion. The first volume of the series was "Lung cancer," edited by Scarantino. This volume "Innovation in Radiation Oncology," edited by H.R. Withers and L.J. Peters, presents data on the development of new therapeutic strategies in different oncologic diseases. 57 authors wrote 32 chapters covering a broad range of topics. The innovations are at various levels of development, but were all chosen with the practicing radiation oncologist in mind. Perhaps not all of the innovations will survive the test of time, others have now become well established standard procedure in some centers. Also discussed is the assessment of the effectiveness of standard treat ment and how it effects the quality of a patient's survival. The contributions have been grouped into 9 broad sections as outlined in the table of contents. We think the second volume, as the whole series, will provide valuable reading for the general community of radiation oncologists."

Recent advances in radiation oncology have depended upon and are intertwined with subsequent scientific discoveries and the development of new techniques in the fields of radiation and molecular biology, physics, electrical engineering, surgery, and medical oncology. This volume describes how some of the recent discoveries in the radiological sciences have influenced the way radiation oncology is practised. As there are many advances in this field, the Editors have chosen to concentrate on selected topics in clinical radiotherapy, radiation physics and biology, and technical innovations that have had a major impact on radiation oncology in the past twenty years. It is hoped that the techniques described in this volume will increase tumor control and prolong patient survival and at the same time decrease radiation-induced side effects and complications.