Seminars in Nuclear Medicine
Volume 33, Issue 3 , Pages 238-243, July 2003

Role of fusion in radiotherapy treatment planning☆☆☆

Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; and the Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri

Abstract 

The fusion of functional imaging to traditional imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is currently being investigated in radiotherapy treatment planning. Most studies that have been reported are in patients with lung, brain, or head and neck neoplasms. There is a potential role for either positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to delineate biologically active or tumor-bearing areas that otherwise would not be detected by CT or MRI. Furthermore, target volumes may be modified by using functional imaging, which can have a significant impact in the modern era of three-dimensional radiotherapy. SPECT may also be able to identify “nonfunctional” surrounding tissue and may influence radiotherapy beam arrangement. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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☆ Address reprint requests to Arnold C. Paulino, MD, Emory Clinic, Department of Radiation Oncology, 1365 Clifton Road NE, A1300, Atlanta, GA 30322.

☆☆ 0001-2998/03/3303-0017$30.00/0

PII: S0001-2998(03)70009-9

doi:10.1053/snuc.2003.127313

Seminars in Nuclear Medicine
Volume 33, Issue 3 , Pages 238-243, July 2003

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