Role of Imaging in Radiotherapy

Medical Imaging in Radiotherapy

• Medical imaging plays a crucial role in radiotherapy as it provides accurate tumor localization, tissue density information, and guides treatment planning.
• Computed Tomography (CT) scans are pivotal in the development of treatment planning for cancer as they provide detailed anatomical information.

Radiomics

• Radiomics is a subdiscipline that deals with the extraction of quantitative image features and generation of predictive mathematical models to improve treatment outcomes.

Radiation Therapy Advancements

• The development of three-dimensional (3-D) conformal radiation therapy has revolutionized the calculation and controlled delivery of 3-D dose distributions for curative radiotherapy.

Secondary Imaging Modality

• Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging is used secondarily in the treatment-planning process in radiotherapy, providing valuable soft-tissue contrast information.

Imaging Techniques

• Computed Tomography (CT) scans use ionizing radiation to visualize the body's parts and organs.

Radiomics and MR Imaging

• Radiomics deals with the extraction of quantitative image features from medical images to generate predictive models.
• Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging is the only three-dimensional imaging modality used for dose calculation in cancer treatment.
• The primary use of Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging in radiotherapy is for tumor visualization and treatment planning.

Advancements in Cancer Treatment

• Radiation therapy has undergone extraordinary development during the past hundred years in cancer treatment.