Based on a popular course given by the author at McGill University,the bookplaces the traditional tenets of radiation biology in the context of contemporary cell and molecular biology. Using terms that non-experts in molecular biology can understand, it clarifies the underlying mechanisms of radiation effects on molecular interactions including signal transduction pathways, modes of cell killing, and non-targeted effects. The author subsequently associates key principles and advances with potential applications, including the use of ionizing radiation as a cytotoxic and cytostatic agent, and radiosensitization by targeting molecular intermediates or signaling molecules involved in radiation-induced processes.

Raising the standard for radiation biology texts that are currently available, Biomolecular Action of Ionizing Radiation is an outstanding resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in medical physics, radiation oncology, radiation biology, and those who have an interest in the radiation sciences and in cancer treatment.