The biologic effects of radiation on normal tissues and tumors represent a complex area for investigation. These effects are of far-reaching consequence to the diagnostic radiologist and the radiation oncologist having a significant impact not only in concepts relative to radiation protection but also in concepts relative to tumor biology and its response to radiation injury. The volume edited by SCHERER, STREFFER, and TROTT represents an extension of basic radiation biology data into the effects of radiation in producing pathology in organs and tissues. The data presented by the multiple authors involved in this text cover essentially all tissues in the body with specific definition of radiopathology changes and their impact on clinical care of the patient. This volume represents an important and significant contribution toward a better understanding of these effects and the pathology produced by radiations. L. W. BRADY H.-P. HEILMANN F. HEUCK M. W. DONNER Philadelphia Hamburg Stuttgart Baltimore Preface This book represents an attempt to describe the clinical radiobiology of complications arising in different organs after radiotherapy of cancer patients. Since by their very nature malignant tumors infiltrate the organ in which they have arisen and the neighboring tissues, curative radiotherapy requires the planned irradiation of considerable amounts of healthy but potentially or microscopically involved normal tissues and organs with the full target dose. This may lead to early or late normal tissue radiation injury.
