Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology

Book Description

Completely updated for its Second Edition, this text is a comprehensive guide to state-of-the-art treatment planning techniques in radiation oncology. The book provides the treatment planning team--radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and medical dosimetrists--with detailed information on both the physics of radiation treatment planning and the clinical aspects of radiotherapy for specific cancers. More than 600 illustrations provide practical examples of the methodologies. Brand-new chapters in this edition cover image-guided radiation therapy, high dose rate brachytherapy, and brachytherapy treatment planning algorithms. The chapters have been completely updated, particularly in areas including intensity-modulated radiation therapy and brachytherapy.

Customer Reviews:

Recommended for Understanding RT; for Dosimetry etc.......2003-07-29

Understanding various aspects of RT in a concise manner from the experts themselves is very appealing. The editors have done a good work of collating the best from the minds in the advancing fields of RT, 3DCRT, IMRT, brachytherapy and STRT. All these topics are presented with contrasting Isodose profiles and respective techniques; give a good grasp of the subjects that form the basis of today's best work aimed for in established radiation oncology treatment centers.

The important aspect of the book is in keeping it simple to understand. This is great and emphasizes the use of the techniques in practical terms rather than in a less appealing theoretical concept.

I recommend it to every dosimetrist, like myself, RTs, oncologists, and even medical physicists. A must have for every upcoming student in Radiation Oncology. Thanks to Dr.Khan and Dr.Potish.

Pannir T. Selvam. RT(T) MHSM
Dosimetrist
Singapore

An average book on treatment planning in radiotherapy.......2000-04-02

In my view not the best book by this author. The previous book Physics of Radiation Therapy described in minute detail the fundamental physics, and with that was particularly aimed at the novice in Radiotherapy Physics. This book is much more general in nature and provides an overview of what is/should be state-of-the art in radiotherapy treatment planning. However, people active in the field should be familiar with that, and in that respect this book offers not much new. Despite my criticism it is a convenient overview in just one book.

Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy

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great transaction
To outdo oneself

Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy
Charles M. Washington , and Dennis T. Leaver
Manufacturer: Mosby
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Physics of Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy Planning
Applied Physics for Radiation Oncology
Primer Of Medical Radiobiology
Portal Design in Radiation Therapy, 2nd ed

ASIN: 0323017487

Book Description

The 2nd edition of Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy is a comprehensive, affordable, resource that covers all of the relevant information in one volume. The first unit, Introduction to Radiation Therapy, presents the foundation of knowledge needed to understand and build on important concepts. The second unit, Physics, Simulation and Treatment Planning, explores the different treatment procedures and supporting information. Unit 3, Practical Applications, discusses various types of cancer and the body systems affected. Excellent pedagogical features throughout the book include outlines and a list of key terms at the beginning of each chapter, as well as review questions and critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter.

Customer Reviews:

great transaction.......2007-09-21

I am happy with my rad ther purchase. it got to me in a timely manner and the book was flawless until about 2 wks in2 class when i began to use the hilitr.

To outdo oneself.......2006-07-06

Mr. Washington,whom I know personally as Charles, did any staff member who works in a radiation oncology department, or any student who wants to work in radiation oncology, a great service by revising and updating his three books and combining them into one. As a therapist learning dosimetry this has been an awfully good reference book. I gave my brand new copy as a graduation present to a recently graduated radiologic technologist student who wants to become a radiation therapist. I can't tell you how much he appreciated it.

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Radiation Protection
William H. Hallenbeck
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0873719964

Book Description

This text/reference provides an excellent introduction to fundamental topics in radiation protection, including energetics, kinetics, interaction, external radiation protection, dosimetry, standards, and measurement. Chapters on radioactive waste and radon, topics not normally covered in introductory texts, have been incorporated as well. An extensive glossary of terms, abbreviations, acronyms, physical constants, units, and unit conversions provides a ready source of frequently needed information. Several appendices contain specifications and vendors for commercially available portable radiation survey instruments, personal dosimeters, and radon/radon progeny monitors.

Cancer: Curing the Incurable Without Surgery, Chemotherapy, or Radiation

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Review on one the most informative sensible books on Cancer
A very good book, esp. for Pancreatic cancer
Much Better Presentation of a Valid Methodology
Used and abused
The Best Unkept Secret for Cancer Enzyme Therapy

Cancer: Curing the Incurable Without Surgery, Chemotherapy, or Radiation
William Donald Kelley , and Fred Rohe
Manufacturer: New Century Promotions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Complete Book of Enzyme Therapy: A Complete and Up-to-Date Reference to Effective Remedies
The Gerson Therapy: The Proven Nutritional Program for Cancer and Other Illnesses
A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases and the Cure of Advanced Cancer
Alive & Well: One Doctor's Experience With Nutrition in the Treatment of Cancer Patients
Food Enzymes for Health & Longevity

ASIN: 0970429002

Book Description

A book with 30 years of planning for 33,000 patients and developing the scientific paradigm for the proper cure and treatment of cancer without surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. This book is not about remission. It is about a cure. This book will teach one how to beat cancer and other age related diseases so you can heal your body now and live a longer and healthier life.

Customer Reviews:

Review on one the most informative sensible books on Cancer.......2007-05-19

Highly recommended reading.
A way to simply and easily understand what cancer has become so widespread in the latter century.
After having lost some dear friends to this disease, this book answered all my questions.

A very good book, esp. for Pancreatic cancer.......2007-01-10

A lot of good solid information. I highly recomend it.

Much Better Presentation of a Valid Methodology.......2006-06-30

If you've found this book, it's likely you are already disenchanted with the medical-pharmaceutical industry's despicable conduct toward the public, particularly in cancer treatment.

Earlier books by Kelly contain more detailed background and context--necessary maybe for a skeptical public. This book presents the material and method much more simply and clearly, like a recipe. You should have all his books, but this one would be the most dog-eared.

Dr. Kelly's methodology for counter-acting cancer simply works. I know because I observed it. My step-mother had breast cancer that had spread through her shoulder and down to her elbow when the treatment began.

For comparison, my mother died of ovarian cancer years before, and it had cost my father his entire lifetime of earning. The medical industry took every last dime, drove him into bankruptcy, and provided no positive results whatsoever for my mother over nearly 2 years. In economics, you supposedly exchange your valuable (money) for another valuable (results). No results means you don't pay or you get your money back. Not in modern medicine.

So when my stepmother contracted cancer, the alternative route was the only way. My father spent a year delivering the Kelly protocol to her, and by that time the cancer was completely gone. Before, any movement of her arm was excruciating. After, she could throw her arm around like a 10 year old in any direction with no pain. The cancer had shrunk until all the cells had been expelled.

She did eventually succumb, after 3 more years of life. The lifelong dietary routine that must be followed to keep the cancer in remission is very strict, and in the end she fell off it. Soon after, the cancer came back more virulently.

The Kelly method works. It may not work for everyone, but I know of no other protocol with the same success percentage and number of documented cases. Certainly its success rate is far better than that of the standard medical-pharmaceutical industry, and the cost is far less.

Used and abused.......2006-03-09

Dr. Kelley has a wonderful cancer cure plan, but his first book, "One Answer To Cancer" is great...and free. This 'new' book is less than the previous and not as informative except where to buy these 'exclusive' formulas (which should be inexpensive for the masses) that are costly.

I felt ripped off on this new book, so I sent it back.

For those that need the Kelley protocol to save help their immune system their lives, do a search on the internet and there are many sites that have it.

The Best Unkept Secret for Cancer Enzyme Therapy.......2006-03-05

I have read Dr. Lorraine Day's Cancer enzyme therapy which heals cancer strictly through diet and Juicing. This book gives you enzyme therapy using supplements. A lot of supplements. Unlike Dr. Day, there are Dr.s that will speak to you over the phone about this treatment whose phone #s and addresses are in the book. Included are many testimonials in case you are doubting. I even spoke to someone on the phone who is cancer free because of Dr. Kelley's cancer protocol. If you have cancer, you need this book.

Radiation Protection: A Guide for Scientists and Physicians, Third Edition

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Radiation Protection: A Guide for Scientists and Physicians, Third Edition
Jacob Shapiro
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0674745868

Book Description

THIS EDITION HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A NEWER EDITION

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useful for radiation therapists

Radiation Therapy Planning
Gunilla C. Bentel
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Physics of Radiation Therapy
Principles and Practice of Radiation Therapy
Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology
Radiation Therapy Physics
Radiobiology for the Radiologist

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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0070051151

Book Description

All new expanded edition provides step-by-step guidelines on performing the technical aspects of radiation therapy. Important new coverage includes treatment preparation, 3-D treatment planning, dosimetry, new technologies, documentation, and quality assurance. In addition, you'll find added treatment planning guidelines by body region, and an expanded art program including many new 4-color illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

useful for radiation therapists.......1998-02-24

I find this book useful for young radiotherapists who are in training, but maybe it could be better to have more images of treatment fields

Magnetic Resonance Procedures: Health Effects and Safety

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Magnetic Resonance Procedures: Health Effects and Safety

Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Integrated Patient Care for the Imaging Professional
Leadership: Theory, Application, Skill Development
Do the Right Thing: Living Ethically in an Unethical World
Sectional Anatomy for Imaging Professionals
MRI in Practice (3rd Edition)

ASIN: 0849308747

Book Description

Magnetic Resonance Procedures: Health Effects and Safety is the first authoritative text on MR procedures and its associated health and safety concerns written by noted radiologists, physicists, and scientists with expertise in the field. It contains both theoretical and practical information. This timely text discusses emergent issues related to MR imaging and concerns such as shielding, the safe use of contrast agents, and management of patients with claustrophobia, anxiety, and emotional stress. It also contains a sample pre-MR screening form; comprehensive safety information for over 700 implants, devices, and materials; a list of medical devices and products for interventional MR procedures; and a summary of peer-reviewed MR safety studies. In the wake of recent government demands for increased patient safety in hospitals, along with the rapidly expanding use of MRI, this book is particularly important. It is the definitive resource for information on the safety aspects of magnetic resonance procedures.

The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century

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The Healing Sun
Valuable Information YOU NEED TO KNOW!
Good overview
The Truth About Sunlight
The Healing Sun

The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century
Richard Hobday
Manufacturer: Findhorn Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Light: Medicine of the Future: How We Can Use It to Heal Ourselves NOW
The UV Advantage: The Medical Breakthrough that Shows How to Harness the Power of the Sun for Your Health
Health and Light: The Effects of Natural and Artificial Light on Man and Other Living Things
Dr. Mercola's Total Health Program: The Proven Plan to Prevent Disease and Premature Aging, Optimize Weight and Live Longer
Color Medicine: The Secrets of Color/Vibrational Healing

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RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 1899171975

Book Description

This look at the benefits of sunlight looks at how the sun can prevent and cure diseases, as well as help us in the future.

Customer Reviews:

The Healing Sun.......2007-10-01

Vitamin D is the hottest vitamin at the moment and the best way to get it is naturally under our infamous sun. The author very credibly explains away the media demonization of solar radiation and makes one feel secure in getting out in the sun again.

Valuable Information YOU NEED TO KNOW!.......2007-09-23

I have always known the sun was my friend. I never cowered to the medical fanatics who warn against allowing sunshine to touch my skin. Now I finally found a book that reveals the studies to prove that not only is the sun NOT the evil monster in the sky, but indeed it's warming rays are extremely important to the health and well-being of humans on earth. Read how it appears that sunshine can convert a substance called squalene (which would otherwise turn to cholesterol) to much needed vitamin D when skin is exposed to sunlight and thus lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, strengthen bones and even help in lowering incidents of various diseases (cancer, heart disease and more). This book also tells us why we should be very skeptical of sunscreens. This little book is packed with critical information and the studies to back it up. I even bought a second book to give to my parents who live in Florida but never allow the sunlight to touch their bodies. Both of them suffer from high blood pressure and too much cholesterol, and mom has already broken a hip.

Good overview.......2007-02-09

Well written explanation of benefits of sunlight - as opposed to the ridiculous paranoia emanating from the "slip, slop, slap" brigade. My only reservation was that there wasn't enough discussion on the "practicalities" - eg. how long? at what time of day? etc

The Truth About Sunlight.......2006-11-14

Many ancient cultures worshipped the sun, which is understandable given the healing power it contains. While I don't worship the sun, but rather it's Creator, I am truly grateful for the healing power it contains. For years sunlight has been put down as unhealthy by the mainline medical establishment. In his well researched, most imterestingly written book, "The Healing Sun," Richard Hobday not only gives you the history of sunlight theraphy, but also the facts concerning the health benfefits of sunlight.

Did you know that:
-Sunlight can prevent and heal many common and often fatal diseases like breast cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and osteoporosis?
-Before antibiotics, sunlight was used successfully to spped up helaing of wounds?
-Prolonged exposure to artifical light puts the body under great stress?
-Early morning sunlight in cool temperatures is especially benificial to the body?
Read this well written, informative book for the details concerning all these facts and much more.

The Healing Sun.......2006-07-03

This book provides some balance to the healing properties of the sun. More and more research is showing that the sun is not all bad. I want to be able to use the sun to help my body do its job much better. Your service was tops.

Average customer rating:

ok
Everyone should read this book!!
Works for Me
Excellent information on Vitamin D
Another Dissident Dermatologist

The UV Advantage
Michael Holick
Manufacturer: I Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Vitamins | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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The Healing Sun: Sunlight and Health in the 21st Century
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The Magnesium Factor

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RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)

ASIN: 0743486471

Book Description

This is the provocative, groundbreaking and potentially bestselling book about the powerful health benefits from the sun. Just as Dr. Atkins was "ahead of the curve" for years regarding his now-famous diet while mainstream doctors remained skeptical, Dr. Holick has been the leading exponent of forumlated sun exposure, going against the grain of the medical establishment. While too much sun can cause wrinkles and raises other health concerns, a LACK of proper sun exposure, our primary source of Vitamin D can cause serious health problems, such as osterporosis, certain cancers(colon, ovarian,breast,prostate), high blood pressure, Type 1 diabetes, multiple schlerosis, and depression.

Customer Reviews:

ok.......2007-07-27

Lightweight introduction to UV and vitamin D. No slight intended to Dr Holick who has been and is a key researcher on vitamin D and is presenting important health information to the public. But this book is like a friendly conversation between a well-informed doctor who is giving essential information to a lay audience, but he assumes they don't want much detail. If you have read a few web-pages about vitamin D, you may already know everything here - vitamin D RDA is too low, many people are deficient, deficiency is associated with a number of illnesses, sunlight exposure will give you what you need but don't get sunburned, supplements can also help but are inferior to sunlight because you need to determine appropriate dosage. The book has repeated information, padding (sentences along the lines of 'countless poets and songwriters attest to the enjoyment of sunshine'), while some things that could have been described in depth - like vitamin D toxicity from supplements (or potentially from diet I guess) - get short shrift. If you don't know much about vitamin D and want a high-level introduction, it's fine. If you wanted more detail or science, skip it.

Everyone should read this book!!.......2007-01-31

This is an easy to read book that has scientific research that convinced me that we all need vitamin D to prevent many of the health problems that are prevelant today. The author writes that vitamin D is best absorbed from natural sunlight and shows how this balances with the problem of too much sun which causes skin cancer. There is alot of skin cancer information in this book also. I highly recommend this book!

Works for Me.......2005-08-13

Living in AZ, for many years I have observed that my "attitude" tends to improve after an hour or so by the pool. To discover that the beneficial effects go much deeper than that reinforces my subjective impression. You DO want to Google up the < < ABCD Skin Cancer >> Asymmetry, Border, Color, or Diameter would be my cue to investigate a likely-easily-fixed Skin Cancer - the notion that LACK of Vitamin-D can cause stuff to go seriously wrong at the Deeply Invisible internal levels such as bone-metabolism, well, that's more than a matter of "attitude" !

Excellent information on Vitamin D.......2005-07-13

The book is well written, easy to understand, & full of pertinent, well documented information on Vitamin D. I have been doing a lot of research on the subject, since I have a Vitamin D deficiency. So far, this is the best resource I have found. I liked it so well that I also sent a copy to a family member who also has a vitamin D deficiency.

Another Dissident Dermatologist.......2005-06-25

By Dr. Ralph Moss
from CancerDecisions.com Newsletter

A. Bernard Ackerman, MD, is an exceptionally distinguished dermatologist and one of the world's foremost authorities on the subject of skin cancer. In 1999, after a long career in academic medicine, he founded and became director of the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York.

Largely because of his leadership and high standards, Dr. Ackerman's institution quickly became the world's largest training center in the field of dermatopathology. (Dermatopathology is the study of the disease processes that affect the skin. It involves detailed knowledge of the microscopic anatomy of the skin's structure in health and disease.) Dr. Ackerman and his six associates examine more than 100,000 skin specimens and do more than 4,000 consultations per year. Dr. Ackerman has published 625 research papers and his list of honors and awards includes this year's Master Award, given to one person a year by the American Academy of Dermatology.

What makes this accomplished scientist particularly interesting is not just his distinguished career in academic medicine but the fact that he challenges some of the dermatology profession's most cherished dogmas. According to an article in the New York Times (July 20, 2004), at age 67, Dr. Ackerman "continues to teach and write, and also to ask for data and question his field's conventional wisdom."

"The field is just replete with nonsense," he told the Times. For instance:

Dr. Ackerman does not believe that the link between melanoma and sun exposure (a central dogma of dermatology) has been proven. He himself is deeply tanned and unafraid to expose his body to the sun.

He does not believe that sunburns, even the painful or blistering kind sustained early in life, necessarily lead to cancer. While some studies do show a small association, he says, others show none. Even those studies that show some such correlation "disagree on when the danger period for sunburns is supposed to be," writes Gina Kolata, author of the New York Times article. Taken as a whole, "the research is inconsistent and fails to make the case."

He doesn't buy the argument that sunscreens protect against melanoma. He points to a recent editorial in an orthodox journal, Archives of Dermatology, which also concludes that there is scant evidence to support this crucial dogma (Bigby 2004).

Finally, while the incidence of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma have been shown to be closely linked to lifetime sun exposure, Dr. Ackerman challenges the tenet that the more intense a person's exposure to the sun, the greater their risk of melanoma. He believes that the data for this also is not compelling. Although we are told that the incidence of melanoma increases in populations that live nearer the equator, the correlation is not that simple. Epidemiological data on melanoma, says Dr. Ackerman, are imprecise and inaccurate. The data simply "cannot demonstrate cause and effect."
Indeed, a recent case-control study of 966 patients (Kennedy, 2003) studying the effect of painful sunburns and lifetime sun exposure on the incidence of several types of skin cancer concluded that lifetime sun exposure is predominantly linked to an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma and to a lesser degree with two common types of basal cell carcinoma. By contrast, this study found that lifetime sun exposure appeared to be associated with a lower risk of malignant melanoma.

Dr. Ackerman advises people to stay out of the sun in order to avoid premature aging of their skin. He also says that if you are very fair, you can prevent squamous cell carcinoma, a less dangerous cancer, by avoiding sunlight. (Squamous cell carcinomas, although they can be disfiguring, are rarely life-threatening.) But don't make the mistake of thinking that by avoiding sunlight or using sunscreen you will be protected against deadly melanoma. This, he says, is a myth.

Other knowledgeable researchers agree that sunscreens fail to protect against melanoma. Dr. William B. Grant, for example, who heads the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center (SUNARC) in San Francisco, points out that sunscreens primarily block the shorter wavelength ultraviolet (UV) radiation, whereas it is the longer wavelength UV that poses the greater risk for melanoma.

Dr. Grant feels that while there is some evidence pointing to a link between sunlight and melanoma, it is not a simple cause and effect relationship. There are many other factors that have to be taken into account. For example, Dr. Grant points out that while it is true that melanoma rates increase with increasing latitude, it is also true that even as far north as Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands, occupational exposure to solar UV radiation is associated with a reduced risk of melanoma. Conversely, for those of northern European ancestry living south of their latitude of origin, such as in Australia, New Zealand and the US, melanoma rates are much higher than they are in their countries of origin.

In addition, Dr. Grant points out that there is substantial evidence that dietary factors, particularly vitamin D, can have a significant effect on the risk of developing melanoma. He points to the work of Millen and colleagues, of the National Institutes of Health, showing that diets rich in vitamin D and carotenoids, and low in alcohol, may be associated with a reduction in risk for melanoma (Millen, 2004). Therefore, Dr. Grant feels that diverse factors including diet, skin type, the presence, number and type of moles, and ethnic, ancestral and geographic origin also have a major influence on melanoma risk. To say that sunlight causes melanoma is at best an oversimplification and at worst a distortion of the scientific evidence (Grant, 2004).

A Melanoma `Epidemic'
Dr. Ackerman is a questioning sort of person. He even debates whether the much-vaunted "epidemic" of melanoma actually exists. The definition of melanoma, he points out, has changed over the past few decades, leading doctors to diagnose, remove and cure lesions that until recently would not have been called melanoma at all.

"The criteria today, clinically and histopathologically, are diametrically different from those 30 years ago," he said. In medical school, he told the Times, "we were taught that melanoma is a big, black, fungating tumor that kills. Who would have believed then that you can recognize melanoma for what it is when it is small and flat and the size of the fingernail on your pinky? You would have said they were insane" (Kolata 2004).

As noted, a central dogma of the dermatology profession is that sun exposure promotes melanoma. The American Academy of Dermatology's website states that it is clear that excessive sun exposure can promote the development of melanoma. But if this is correct why do African-Americans and Asians develop melanoma precisely on those parts of the skin that are not exposed to sunlight - the palms, soles, nails and mucous membranes? Even among whites, the most common melanoma sites are the leg (in women) and the trunk (in men). These are hardly the most sun-exposed body parts. Why not on the face and arms, which are much more frequently exposed to Old Sol?

Ackerman's arguments (and he is by no means alone in feeling this way) leave conventional dermatologists sputtering with frustration. One leader in the field told the New York Times that "it was perverse of Dr. Ackerman to pick the data apart." But is it perverse to question dogmatic beliefs? This official further claimed that melanoma can occur in unexposed places because "sunlight suppresses immune cells in the skin's surface that ordinarily hold cancer at bay." While many would undoubtedly disagree with him, Dr. Ackerman does not accept this `immune surveillance' argument. He sees it as a tenuous theory manufactured in order to support a dubious hypothesis.

This insightful interview with Dr. Ackerman comes at a crucial moment in the history of dermatology. In my opinion, the dermatologists have painted themselves into a corner on the issue of sun exposure, sunscreens and melanoma. The best that can be said is that they are trying to stem what they perceive to be a rising tide of preventable melanoma cases with a public health campaign. But the science behind this campaign is shaky, at best.

Some leaders of the field, such as Dr. Ackerman, are now trying to help their profession find its way back into the light. Although it is not mentioned in this interview, the recent forced resignation of Michael Holick, MD, PhD, from his dermatology professorship at Boston University has overshadowed this debate and moved it from the back rooms of Academe squarely into the medico-political realm. As readers of this newsletter may remember, Holick was asked to resign after he expressed opinions that were essentially identical to those of Dr. Ackerman. But Dr. Holick took his arguments directly to the laypeople in a popular book (The UV Advantage) and-unlike the retired Dr. Ackerman-was in a position that was vulnerable to retaliation.

I believe the dermatology profession should reconsider its dogmatic positions on the relationship of sunlight to melanoma. It should also reexamine its embrace of the sunscreen industry, whose sales have grown from $18 million in 1972 to almost a half billion dollars today. The supposedly protective effect of sunscreen against the development of melanoma is a major reason for that boom. According to medical writer Michael Castleman, writing in Mother Jones magazine:

"...[D]ermatologists get much of their information from the SCF [Skin Cancer Foundation, ed.], and the SCF, in turn, is heavily supported by the sunscreen industry. (A sunscreen manufacturer even funded SCF's quarterly consumer publication, "Sun and Skin News.") No wonder the foundation doesn't give much credence to the growing number of studies showing that even so-called broad-spectrum sunscreen doesn't prevent melanoma. Like the road-destroying trucks that guaranteed work for the concrete company, rising melanoma rates scare people into using more sunscreen" (Castleman 1998).

The Skin Cancer Foundation has dozens of members of the sunscreen industry, such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble, on its "Corporate Council." In return, the SCF awards its Seal of Recommendation to many of these same companies' products. It is a cozy relationship indeed.

To restore their collective good name, dermatologists need to come clean with the public about what is scientifically proven and what is merely speculative about the relationship between cancer and sunlight. In particular, truth-seekers in the field need to band together and demand that B.U. reinstate Dr. Holick. Nothing less will convince the public of the dermatology profession's intellectual honesty.

--Ralph W. Moss, PhD

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New edition marred by typos and awkward editing
Useful general text on radiation protection and safety

Introduction to Health Physics
Herman Cember
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Medical
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0071054618

Book Description

This edition continues to provide students with a basic understanding of the biophysical bases of radiation, radiation safety standards, and the key factors in radiation protection. Now includes new coverage of non-ionizing radiation-laser and microwaves, computer use in dose calculation and dose limit recommendations. Emphasizes a problem-solving approach that will serve students into their clinical careers.

Customer Reviews:

New edition marred by typos and awkward editing.......1998-11-01

This new edition of the classic text is a disappointment, and it's use as a textbook is not recommended.

For this 3d edition, the list of typographical errors compiled by colleagues and myself stands at four pages and growing. Errors can be found in the text, the chapter problems, and their solutions. Other solutions which are not clearly wrong may inexplicably differ from your own solution at the second significant digit.

Formulae are rarely derived from first principles. One exception is the change in wavelength for a photon undergoing Compton scattering from an electron, but, even here, a crucial equation (the relativistic energy invariant) is conspicuously omitted, without which the final equation cannot be derived. The text does not even mention relativity in discussing Compton scattering. (The index does reference "Relatively effects" (sic) at pp. 4-11.)

Equations and formulae contain, at times, an unnecessary proliferation of multiplication signs and units which obscures the underlying physical principles and the simplicity of the equations themselves. Students are better served by a clear mathematical presentation of the underlying physics, rather than being dropped into the middle of an obscure equation made even more so by the inclusion of several constants whose only purpose is to make the units work out. While any text on this subject must deal with the unavoidability of old and new units, my suggestion is to derive the formulae from first principles and deal with the units issue (which, after all, only amounts to including appropriate conversion factors) separately as examples or chapter problems.

Finally, the multiplication sign, "x", should be reserved for arithmetic and scientific notation, not symbolic mathematical equations. See, e.g., Equations (3.10), (4.31), (10.17), (10.32), etc., as examples where the multiplication sign is unnecessary. The text also uses the multiplication sign even where numerical values are already set off by parentheses. The text's overuse of the multiplication sign gives the text a grade-schoolish flavor.

Useful general text on radiation protection and safety.......1998-01-02

In over 25 years since its first edition, this classic textbook has been used to train countless professionals in the fundamentals of radiation protection and safety. This third edition of Cember's work incorporates several fundamental changes in radiation protection standards and methodologies adopted since publication of the second edition in 1983. The third edition has also been expanded to include more recent safety standards for radiofrequency and microwave exposure.

This textbook is useful for an upper division undergraduate or first graduate course in radiological protection, health physics, or radiation safety. Each chapter is accompanied by a useful set of problems and suggested readings. Unfortunately, many of the readings and references cited are either out of print or difficult to find.

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