Abstract
Technical development in the last years has permitted, using the last imaging
techniques, to deliver a "curative" dose without increasing toxicity to the adjacent
organs.
Imaging techniques such as CT scan, MRI, and PET-scan are complementary
and organ-specific (e.g., PET-CT for lung and MRI-CT for brain). Imaging
allows us to define more accurately the macroscopic lesions (GTV) and delineate
much better in our "daily" planning system.
On the other hand, modern radiotherapy machines allow for better targeting
of the GTV by improving the positioning, and delivering an adequate conformal
dose. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can in some cases, better
envelop the planned target volume (PTV) without delivering a toxic dose in the
surrounding sensitive healthy tissues.
With this perspective all imaging equipment (radiology department) is interconnected
and all data are archived (PACS).
In accordance with the development of the electronic medical files, those
images and protocols are available throughout the entire hospital. The system is
linked with the hospital information network where also the departments of
nuclear medicine and radiotherapy are connected. The exchange of all data even
for consulting is complete.
In addition a direct link between imaging (radiology and nuclear medicine)
and radiotherapy is a necessity in relation to the planning. In our department,
this permitted the development of high precision radiotherapy using the Novalis
"shaped beam surgery" or conformal radiotherapy, initially developed for (... truncated...)
techniques, to deliver a "curative" dose without increasing toxicity to the adjacent
organs.
Imaging techniques such as CT scan, MRI, and PET-scan are complementary
and organ-specific (e.g., PET-CT for lung and MRI-CT for brain). Imaging
allows us to define more accurately the macroscopic lesions (GTV) and delineate
much better in our "daily" planning system.
On the other hand, modern radiotherapy machines allow for better targeting
of the GTV by improving the positioning, and delivering an adequate conformal
dose. Intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can in some cases, better
envelop the planned target volume (PTV) without delivering a toxic dose in the
surrounding sensitive healthy tissues.
With this perspective all imaging equipment (radiology department) is interconnected
and all data are archived (PACS).
In accordance with the development of the electronic medical files, those
images and protocols are available throughout the entire hospital. The system is
linked with the hospital information network where also the departments of
nuclear medicine and radiotherapy are connected. The exchange of all data even
for consulting is complete.
In addition a direct link between imaging (radiology and nuclear medicine)
and radiotherapy is a necessity in relation to the planning. In our department,
this permitted the development of high precision radiotherapy using the Novalis
"shaped beam surgery" or conformal radiotherapy, initially developed for (... truncated...)
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Advances in experimental medicine and biology |
| Editors | Nathan Back, Irun R Cohen, David Kritchevsky, Abel Lajtha, Rodolfo Paoletti |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Pages | 303-308 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Volume | 587 |
| Publication status | Published - 2006 |
Bibliographical note
Nathan Back, Irun R Cohen, David Kritchevsky, Abel Lajtha, Rodolfo PaolettiKeywords
- radiotherapy
- linac
- novalis
- tomotherapy