Nanoscale Insights into Ion-Beam Cancer Therapy, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2017

This book provides a unique and comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art understanding of the molecular and nano-scale processes that play significant roles in ion-beam cancer therapy. It covers experimental design and methodology, and reviews the theoretical understanding of the processes involved. It offers the reader an opportunity to learn from a coherent approach about the physics, chemistry and biology relevant to ion-beam cancer therapy, a growing field of important medical application worldwide.

The book describes phenomena occurring on different time and energy scales relevant to the radiation damage of biological targets and ion-beam cancer therapy from the molecular (nano) scale up to the macroscopic level. It illustrates how ion-beam therapy offers the possibility of excellent dose localization for treatment of malignant tumours, minimizing radiation damage in normal tissue whilst maximizing cell-killing within the tumour, offering a significant development in cancer therapy. The full potential of such therapy can only be realized by better understanding the physical, chemical and biological mechanisms, on a range of time and space scales that lead to cell death under ion irradiation. This book describes how, using a multiscale approach, experimental and theoretical expertise available can lead to greater insight at the nanoscopic and molecular level into radiation damage of biological targets induced by ion impact.

The book is intended for advanced students and specialists in the areas of physics, chemistry, biology and medicine related to ion-beam therapy, radiation protection, biophysics, radiation nanophysics and chemistry, atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, and the physics of interaction of charged particles with matter. One of the most important features of the book is the inclusive multiscale approach to the understanding of complex and highly interdisciplinary processes behind ion-beam cancer therapy, which stretches from the atomistic level up to the biological scale and is demonstrated to be in excellent agreement with experimental observations.

Presents a comprehensive overview of our understanding of ion-beam cancer therapy at the molecular level

Offers a consistent multiscale approach to the problem of radiation biodamage and its application to ion-beam cancer therapy

Contributes state-of-the-art knowledge gained by the international community during the COST Action Nano-IBCT (Nanoscale Insights into Ion-Beam Cancer Therapy)

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras