系列前言

Series Preface
Since their inception over a century ago, advances in the science and technology of medical imaging and radiation therapy are more profound and rapid than ever before. Further, the disciplines are increasingly cross-linked as imaging methods become more widely used to plan, guide, monitor, and assess treatments in radiation therapy. Today, the technologies of medical imaging and radiation therapy are so complex and so computer-driven that it is difficult for the persons (physicians and technologists) responsible for their clinical use to know exactly what is happening at the point of care, when a patient is being examined or treated. The individuals best equipped to understand the technologies and their applications are medical physicists, and these individuals are assuming greater responsibilities in the clinical arena to ensure that what is intended for the patient is actually delivered in a safe and effective manner.
The growing responsibilities of medical physicists in the clinical arenas of medical imaging and radiation therapy are not without their challenges, however. Most medical physicists are knowledgeable in either radiation therapy or medical imaging, and expert in one or a small number of areas within their discipline. They sustain their expertise in these areas by reading scientific articles and attending scientific talks at meetings. In contrast, their responsibilities increasingly extend beyond their specific areas of expertise. To meet these responsibilities, medical physicists periodically must refresh their knowledge of advances in medical imaging or radiation therapy, and they must be prepared to function at the intersection of these two fields. How to accomplish these objectives is a challenge.
At the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine in Minneapolis, this challenge was the topic of conversation during a lunch hosted by Taylor & Francis Publishers and involving a group of senior medical physicists (Arthur L. Boyer, Joseph O. Deasy, C.-M. Charlie Ma, Todd A. Pawlicki, Ervin B. Podgorsak, Elke Reitzel, Anthony B. Wolbarst, and Ellen D. Yorke). The conclusion of this discussion was that a book series should be launched under the Taylor & Francis banner, with each volume in the series addressing a rapidly advancing area of medical imaging or radiation therapy of importance to medical physicists. The aim would be for each volume to provide medical physicists with the information needed to understand technologies driving a rapid advance and their applications to safe and effective delivery of patient care.
Each volume in the series is edited by one or more individuals with recognized expertise in the technological area encompassed by the book. The editors are responsible for selecting the authors of individual chapters and ensuring that the chapters are comprehensive and intelligible to someone without such expertise. The enthusiasm of volume editors and chapter authors has been gratifying and reinforces the conclusion of the Minneapolis luncheon that this series of books addresses a major need of medical physicists.
Imaging in Medical Diagnosis and Therapy would not have been possible without the encouragement and support of the series manager, Luna Han of Taylor & Francis Publishers. The editors and authors, and most of all I, are indebted to her steady guidance of the entire project.
SERIES EDITOR
William Hendee
Rochester, Minnesota

系列前言
自从医学成像和放射治疗诞生的一个多世纪以来，其科学技术的进步比以往任何时候都深刻和迅速。此外，随着医学成像的方法越来越广泛的应用于放射治疗中的计划、指导、检测和评估环节，各学科之间的联系也越来越紧密了。如今，医学成像和放射治疗技术是如此复杂，并且由计算机驱动，以至于负责其临床应用的人员（物理师和技师）很难准确的知道患者正在进行的检查或治疗。最有能力了解技术及其应用的是医学物理师，他们在临床领域承担着更大的责任，以确保为患者提供真正安全且有效的治疗。
然而，医学物理师在医学成像和放射治疗的临床领域中日益增加的责任，并非没有挑战。大多数物理师在医学影像和放射治疗方面有着丰富的知识，并且是其学科的其中一个或少数几个领域的专家。他们通过阅读科研文献和出席学术会议来维持其专业知识。相反，他们的职责越来越超出了其专业知识领域。为了履行这些职责，物理师必须定期更新他们在医学成像或放射治疗方面的知识，并且他们必须能在这两个交叉领域发挥作用。如何实现这些目标是一个挑战。
在明尼阿波利斯举行的美国医学物理师2007年年会上，这一挑战是泰勒和弗朗西斯出版社（Taylor＆Francis Publishers）主持的午餐会上的话题，参与者包括一群高级医学物理师（Arthur L. Boyer，Joseph O. Deasy，C.-M. Charlie Ma，Todd A.Pawlicki，Ervin B.Podgorsak，Elke Reitzel，Anthony B.Wolbarst和Ellen D.Yorke）。本次讨论的结论是，由泰勒（Taylor）和弗朗西斯（Francis）发起筹备一系列丛书，丛书中的每一册都着眼于医学成像或放射治疗对医学物理师来说重要的快速发展的领域。目的是其中每一册都为物理师提供所需的信息，以了解推动飞速发展的技术及其应用，从而给患者提供安全有效的治疗护理。
本系列的每一册都是由一个或多个该领域公认的技术专家所编写的。编辑的责任在于选择每一个章节的作者，并且确保这些章节内容对于那些没有这些专业知识的读者也是较为全面和清晰的。编辑们和作者们的热情令人振奋，巩固了明尼阿波利斯午餐会的结论，即该系列丛书满足了医学物理师的主要需求。
没有该系列丛书经理，泰勒和弗朗西斯出版社的Luna Han的鼓励和支持，就不会有《医疗诊断和治疗中的影像学》 的出版。所有编辑和作者对她在整个项目中的坚定指导，表示感谢。
系列编辑
William Hendee
Rochester, Minnesota