Introduction to Particle Therapy: An Educational Handbook

“Introduction to Particle Therapy: An Educational Handbook” provides a clear and accessible overview of modern particle radiation therapy.Aimed at students, physicists and researchers in particle beam therapy, it explains the fundamental physics of proton and heavy-ion beams and how their distinctive depth-dose profiles enable highly targeted cancer treatment with minimal damage to healthy tissue. It explores the latest, cutting-edge research in accelerator technology, beam-delivery systems, treatment-planning methods, radiobiology, and dosimetry and safety.The book also examines the engineering design of particle therapy machines, outlining key components, system architectures and performance considerations.Chapters on particle radiation biology, image-guidance technologies and inverse optimization methods illustrate the principles required for precise and adaptive treatment delivery.Emerging developments, such as ultra-high-dose-rate (FLASH) therapy, next-generation planning strategi