ABSTRACT
Radiation oncology is an extraordinarily interdisciplinary field. The realms of clinical radiation oncology, medical physics and radiobiology are thoroughly intertwined within both clinical practice and research. To fully utilize the knowledge acquired in one of these disciplines, one must have a solid understanding of the theory and practices involved in the others. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a broad overview of the fundamental physical processes and technical procedures involved in radiotherapy in its modern state. Our purpose in introducing this chapter is that a better understanding of the theory and practices involved in radiotherapy physics along with uncertainties involved in the process should help the radiobiologist better interpret clinical data and will provide a stronger background from which to develop and apply radiobiological models.
