MEDRADSC 2AA3 - Lecture 7.5 - The Application of MR in Radiation Therapy

what tumours is MR the gold-standard for?

brain, nasopharynx, liver, pancreas, spine and prostate

advantages of MRI in RT

superior soft tissue contrast, distinguishes tissue interfaces and provides functional information, removes need for image registration and simplifies workflow, reduces radiation exposure, improved position verification, real time imaging

limitations of MRI in RT

large bore size needed, much accessory equipment, MR compatible immobilization devices, higher readout bandwidths and distortion corrections needed, multiple appointments for multiple images and requires a RT-specific MR unit, lack of electron density information, geometric distortion

intrafractional RT

real time imaging, improves accuracy by tracking tumour movement during treatment, allows for 'stop and shoot' and continuous beam tracking

adaptive radiotherapy (MRgART)

allows for daily evaluation of contours and re-optimization of treatment plan

radiomics

computerized extraction of data from images

benefits of radiomics

explores tumour heterogeneity habits, distinguishes physiological traits of tumour, accurate prognosis and determines if patients are suitable for dose escalation