The radiation oncology community has received the three previous
editions of Clinical Radiation Oncology very well, and
it has become the standard radiation oncology textbook
for many physicians. For the fourth edition of Clinical Radiation
Oncology, the intent is to maintain the many excellent
features of the previous editions while adding some new
features, new chapters and chapter authors, and one new
Associate Editor. The most exciting new feature is that the
chapters in the online version of the fourth edition of Clinical
Radiation Oncology (www.expertconsult.com) will be periodically
updated.
The fourth edition again has separate sections on Scientific
Foundations of Radiation Oncology, Techniques and Modalities,
and Disease Sites. Within the section on Scientific Foundations
of Radiation Oncology, a new chapter has been added,
“Radiation Physics: Stereotactic.” In the section on Techniques
and Modalities, the chapter on stereotactic irradiation has
been divided into separate chapters, “Stereotactic Irradiation:
CNS Tumors” and “Stereotactic Body Irradiation: Extracranial
Tumors,” in view of the expanded interest in and outcomes
data for stereotactic body irradiation.
The associate editors for Disease Sites chapters were an
important component of the success of the three previous
editions and have been maintained. One new associate editor
has been selected for the fourth edition—Dr. Andrea Ng for
Lymphoma and Hematologic Malignancies. Associate editors
are involved in the selection of chapter authors and in editing
the chapters for scientific content and accuracy. For most
Disease Sites, the associate editors also wrote an Overview
that allowed them to discuss issues common to various Disease
Sites within the section and to give their unique perspective
on important issues.
Features that are retained within Disease Sites chapters
include an opening page format summarizing the most important
issues, a full-color format throughout each chapter, liberal
use of tables and figures, and a closing section with a discussion
of controversies and problems and a treatment algorithm
that reflects the treatment approach of the authors. Chapters
have been edited not only for scientific accuracy, but also for
organization, format, and adequacy of outcome data (disease
control, survival, and treatment tolerance).
We are again indebted to the many national and international
experts who contributed to the fourth edition of Clinical
Radiation Oncology as associate editors, senior authors, or coauthors.
Their outstanding efforts combined with ours will
hopefully allow this new edition to be a valuable contribution
and resource in the coming years.
Leonard L. Gunderson
Joel E. Tepper