Shielding Techniques for Radiation Oncology Facilities, Second Edition

Author:  Patton H. McGinley
ISBN:  9781930524675
Published:  2002 | 184 pp | eBook


OUT OF PRINT

  
  




Health Physics (Review of the First Edition)  |  July 1998


Review of the First Edition:

"This book is divided into 9 chapters. Chapter 1 is a short history of x-ray room shielding. Chapter 2 covers the design of walls and ceilings, both primary and secondary. Chapters 3 and 5 cover the design of mazes and doors for low (MV) and high energy accelerators, respectively. Chapter 4 introduces photoneutron production, propagation, and shielding. Chapter 6 covers the use of laminated metal and concrete shielding. Chapter 7, titled 'Special Topics,' covers skyshine and toxic and radioactive gas production. Chapter 8 covers simulator, HDR, and brachytherapy room shielding while Chapter 9 discusses reports and room surveys.

"This book is written as a practical manual for designing the shielding of medical electron accelerators and other radiation oncology sources. It is not a theoretical text and the solutions that are presented are all readily usable. The reader is never left with a solution to his problem in the form of a triple integral that can only be solved by a computer, if at all. The author solves frequent illustrative examples and provides additional problems so that the book could be used as a textbook for a course in medical accelerator shielding.

"The book has a good index. There are a few errors but not an unusual amount. McGinley and his colleagues have made an impressive number of measurements in and around accelerator rooms. The reference list reflects this, occasionally to the exclusion of other useful work. More emphasis on designing around commonly available sizes of building and shielding materials would have been desirable. It is never discussed that the final results of shielding designs still have to be in English units in this country.

"Overall, this book fills a valuable function that could previously be filled only by a combination of NCRP Reports 49, 51 and 79 plus numerous articles from the literature. The physicist designing his first shielded room as well as the expert who has designed many rooms will want this on their office shelf."

Richard C. McCall
McCall &Associates
170 Hobart Heights
Woodside, CA 94062