Imaging in Radiotherapy

TL;DR

This paper reviews the critical role of imaging in modern radiation therapy, emphasizing its importance in target identification, positioning, and advanced ion beam techniques for precise dose delivery.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of imaging applications in external beam radiation therapy, highlighting advancements in ion beam therapy for improved accuracy.

Findings

Imaging is essential for precise tumor targeting in radiation therapy.

Emerging ion beam techniques offer enhanced dose delivery accuracy.

Imaging advances improve treatment outcomes and safety.

Abstract

With the continued evolution of modern radiation therapy towards high precision delivery of high therapeutic doses to the tumour while optimally sparing surrounding healthy tissue, imaging becomes a crucial component to identify the intended target, properly position it at the treatment site and, in more advanced research applications, visualize the treatment delivery. This contribution reviews the main role of imaging in modern external beam radiation therapy, with special emphasis on emerging ion beam therapy techniques, which aim at exploiting the favourable properties of ion interaction in matter for unprecedented ballistic accuracy in dose delivery