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Conformal radiation therapy represents a new challenge for radiation oncologists. It offers the prospect of either increasing the radiation dose to target tissues while delivering a similar dose to organs at risk, or reducing the dose to organs at risk while maintaining the dose to target tissues. However, achievement of these objectives requires appropriate selection and delineation of clinical target volumes for different tumour sites, and this is the focus of the present book. Special emphasis is placed on the lymph node areas at risk for microscopic infiltration, addressing the question of which of these areas should be included in the target volumes. Each chapter comprehensively reviews all available data from clinical, radiological and pathological examination as well as the pattern of locoregional relapse, and offers recommendations for the selection of the clinical target volumes. Then, based on a three-dimensional description of the anatomical regions where the areas at risk are located, guidelines for the delineation of the clinical target volumes are proposed. To help the reader, two chapters on descriptive anatomy and anatomical radiology on CT/MRI slices have been included. The data presented should enable the reader to make appropriate decisions regarding the selection and delineation of the target volumes when confronted with the most frequent tumor types and sites. Interestingly, all of the debated issues are relevant irrespective of the irradiation technique used. Even for less sophisticated irradiation techniques, proper selection and delineation of clinical target volumes is of the utmost importance. It is the belief of the editors that this book will contribute in paving the way for more effective radiation oncology in the twenty-first century.

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V. Grégoire, P. Scalliet and K.K. Ang: Introduction; B. Lengelé : The Lymphatic System; E.E. Coche, T. Duprez, and M. Lonneux: Imaging the Lymph Nodes: CT, MRI, and PET; V. Grégoire, E.E. Coche, G. Cosnard et al.: Selection and Delineation of Lymph Node Target Volumes in Head and Neck Conformal and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy; P. van Houtte et al.: Lung Tumors; K. Haustermans et al.: Oesophageal Tumors; I.C. Kiricuta: Target Volume Selection and Delineation in Breast Cancer Conformal Radiotherapy; P. Scalliet and B. Tombal: Prostate Tumors; M. Gospodarowicz et al.: Bladder Tumors; K.S. Clifford Chao, M. Cengiz, and T. Herzog: Gynecologic Tumors; L.L. Gunderson et al.: Rectal and Anal Cancers in Conformal Radiotherapy Planning: Selection and Delineation of Lymph Node Areas Tumors; B. O´Sullivan et al.: Sarcoma; A. Bosly: Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas; K. K. Ang et al.: Melanoma and Skin Tumors; Subject Index; List of Contributors.

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