Customer Reviews

The Physics of Radiation Therapy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

All radiation oncology residents complain about how difficult this book is to read. It is true-it is dense and some of the explanations may not be perfectly clear. That said, this book is indispensable for the Radiation Oncology Written Boards exam. The figures and tables in particular are very high yield and worth their weight in gold if one's goal is to comfortably pass the physics written board exam.

I find this an absolutely fantastic book. It really is the bible of medical physics for radiotherapy. I had the second edition until it fell apart, and just purchased this new third edition. It explains virtually every single thing you need to know in therapy- from a theoretical point of view.

It does have two weak points: not all terms are clearly defined each time they are used in equations, and the prostate seed implant chapter has been largely overtaken by technological advancements in in-theatre planning which make it a little outdated.

If you are medical physicsist in radiotherapy and will only buy one book in your lifetime, then let this one be it!

When I started working in Radiation Therapy, somebody recommended this book to me to learn the theoretical aspects. I am also required to teach a resident lecture out of this book. The more I use it, the less I like it. While the book may contain information on all basic and necessary topics, the way they are presented is less than optimal.

I find the writing style is not conducive to learning. The author has the annoying habit to insert sentences hinting at advanced topics without really explaining what it means. For the reader not familiar with the advanced topics, those remarks just create confusion. Some of the chapters, especially on electrons, are very unorganized and jump back and forth.

Compared to other excellent works available, e.g. Hendee and Ibbott, or Jayaraman and Lanzl, this book is much weaker in quality/price.

This is an excellent book for any Dosimetrist, student or professional. The book can be used as a refrence and/or to study for CMD. Important radiation physics concepts explained.

This book makes studying frustrating. Most concepts are poorly explained, the author dumps formulas out of nowhere, and uses partial explanations... when he dares trying to give some. In early chapters, the author uses materials that are introduced in later chapters, which makes things even more confusing.

This book is good to be "learned by heart" for the board exam and then forget about it. For a fifth edition, I would have expected something of much better quality. Yes, it is the bible of physics for radiation therapy; perhaps because there is nothing else out there.
Please, would anyone produce a text book of better quality ? The task is not so difficult.

This is absolutely my "Resource-Bible" of physics of Radiation Therapy...

Must-have book, for those who want a clear understanding of the physics behind radiaton oncology.

This book is essential in gaining a solid grasp and understanding of the physic concepts in Rad Onc.

The language of physics is math and the book isn't short on equations. the figures and tables are well put together.

Currently going through a Dosimetry program , I can say this book is much more in-depth than the introductory RTT books out there, which are just that " Introductory" . You wont get a better understanding, nor comprehensive explanations from other textbooks ( and I've gone through a few)

Even though this is supposed to be the gold std for rad onc physics, it's not a particularly good one for teaching. It's mildly out of date and the writing style is, well, frustrating to read. Like another reader pointed out, the author makes random references to this and that w/o further explanation. Unfortunately, b/c this text is the std, it's become a necessity. So try to borrow someone else's copy for the boards, cause you won't be using this book on a daily basis, that's for sure.

Great if your uni lecturer lifts random chunks of text from this book without context. Awesome if you don't have spare money to throw at the uni bookshop.

A must book for students of medical physics. Gives basic knowledge in a easy to understand style.