This figure illustrates a combined CT-PET image fusion treatment planning study. The cancer is effectively made to “glow” against the CT images by this process, increasing our ability to map it accurately. The green lines define the radiation target volume.
Lung Cancer - Image Fusion Treatment Planning
The anatomy of cancers in the chest may be complicated and the interpretation of radiology studies challenging. For example, cancer and pneumonia often coexist in the same patient and it may be difficult to define where one condition stops and the other one starts. The cancer may also involve lymph nodes in the mediastinum (central part of the chest between the lungs), which may be problematical to accurately detect with conventional studies.
The combination of CT and PET imaging has significantly improved the ability to accurately map the distribution of cancer within the chest, and the newest generation of radiation therapy planning computers has the ability to take full advantage of both study types in the treatment planning process. This is done by co-registering or fusing the images from different planning studies in three dimensions on the same display. In this way the anatomic information provided by the CT and the cancer biological information provided by the PET study are combined in the computer. This in turn allows us to design the most accurate possible radiation treatment volume, which means a higher dose of radiation to the target volume, more accurately directed, with better sparing of surrounding tissues. This improves that chance of destroying the tumor without creating too much collateral injury to surrounding tissues.
For more information see: CyberKnife Centers of San Diego - Lung Cancer
