Digital Reconstruction of High-quality Daily 4D Cone-beam CT Images Using Prior Knowledge of Anatomy and Respiratory Motion

In radiation therapy, it is well known that patient anatomy can undergo significant changes, such as tumor shrinkage or expansion and weight loss, from the simulation phase to the delivery of radiation beam. Apparently, those changes cannot be fully compensated by rigid image alignment. Therefore, image guidance on a regular basis is critical to monitoring anatomic changes during the course of treatment. Although routine assessment of patient anatomy can generally be achieved using conventional CT, the advent of in-room cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) [1–4] provides an accurate representation of patient anatomy prior to treatment delivery, allowing for daily patient setup, evaluation of changes in the tumor and critical structures, treatment re-planning, and dose verification/accumulation in adaptive radiotherapy [5].

Source: Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics - October 28, 2014 Category: Radiology Authors: Yongbin Zhang, Jinzhong Yang, Lifei Zhang, Laurence E. Court, Song Gao, Peter A. Balter, Lei Dong Source Type: research