Applications of image processing in image-guided radiation therapy

Targeted radiation therapy (RT) is a central component of cancer treatment in both the radical and palliative settings. A central and compelling feature of RT is its capacity to deliver a therapeutic effect for cancerous targets that lie deep within the body. Full exploitation of this effect has been limited by the clinical uncertainties in identifying the geometric boundaries of the target and by the lack of precision in the delivery of radiation dose to these internal targets over the many (20 40) fractions of a typical treatment regimen (once per day). This lack of precision has required the use of excessive safety margins to ensure coverage of the disease. Unfortunately, this results in the surrounding normal tissues receiving excessive radiation, which in turn prevents the escalation of the dose to the tumor.