Radiation therapy (RT) uses imaging to support delineating anatomy for dose planning. In general, the aim is to target the tumor and spare the surrounding tissues as much as possible. This requires careful planning to ensure spatial accuracy and calibrated dosing. University Medical Center Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands) has embraced MRI to enhance radiation therapy planning with the benefit of its high soft tissue contrast.
MRI offers high soft tissue contrast, thereby providing anatomical as well as functional information for organ delineation and visualization of surrounding anatomy and critical structures, thereby helping to support good determination of target volume [1]
Marielle Philippens, MD, PhD, a medical physicist in the radiotherapy department at UMC Utrecht, further explains:
“In treatment of the head and neck, for instance, we always try to save the parotid glands and the salivary glands. In cases of prostate and cervix cancer, we aim to spare the bladder and rectum as much as possible. To achieve this, we need to first find the outline of the target. In my experience, it can be quite difficult to delineate this with CT, even when using contrast agent. This is why the high soft tissue contrast of MRI is attractive for radiation therapy planning.”
The University Medical Center Utrecht Department of
Radiotherapy is a leading center in radiation therapy, continuously striving to improve methods and provide excellent patient care.
UMC Utrecht has two Philips Ingenia MR-RT systems (1.5T and 3.0T) for RT treatment simulation as well as a Philips Ingenia 1.5T system dedicated for brachytherapy. Furthermore, it is an Atlantic MR-Linac consortium member. UMC Utrecht regularly organizes courses on MRI in radiotherapy for physicians, technologists and radiation oncologists, see http://mri-in-radiotherapy.nl/
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