Radiotherapy for Non-Malignant Disorders [Paperback]

This volume discusses the background and various clinical applications of radiation therapy in the treatment of non-malignant diseases. It documents the radiobiological and physical principles of treatment and the rationale underlying the use of radiotherapy for various disorders of the CNS, head and neck, eye, skin and soft tissues, bone and joints, and vascular system. In so doing, it draws attention to and elucidates the scope for application of radiotherapy beyond the treatment of malignancies. Both the risks and the benefits of such treatment are fully considered, the former ranging from minor clinical problems to life-threatening diseases.

This volume is an unrivalled and comprehensive survey on the use of radiotherapy to treat non-malignant disorders. It documents the radiobiological and physical principles of treatment and the rationale underlying the use of radiotherapy.

With contributions by numerous expertsNon-malignant, or benign , diseases can be successfully treated using ionizing rad- tion technologies. It was first proposed in 1898 by Sokoloff, who reported the analgesic effects of radiotherapy for painful rheumatoid arthritis. Since then, the use of these techniques for painful muscle-skeletal diseases has gained acceptance particularly in Europe but is still carried out actively in the United States. Non-malignant diseases that are amenable to radiotherapy can be classified as inflammatory, degenerative, hype- roliferative, functional, or other disorders. However, the topographic and morphologic considerations are more relevant. Even though radiation therapy for benign diseases has not been pursued actively since the 1950s, more recent interest has dictated that it can be a very effective treatment modality. The use of radiotherapy can be justified for invasive and aggressive growth such as that seen with desmoids, for cosmetic d- figurations and functional loss as seen with keloids or endocrine orbitopathy, olC�