Organ and tumor motion: an overview

Area of Science:

• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Image-Guided Therapy

Background:

• Patient motion, including setup errors, and internal tumor motion pose significant challenges in radiation therapy.
• Accurate targeting is complicated by the dynamic nature of tumors and surrounding healthy tissues during treatment delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the issues related to managing patient and tumor motion in radiation therapy.
• To discuss strategies for addressing motion-related uncertainties in treatment planning and delivery.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of problems arising at the tumor periphery, within the tumor, and adjacent to organs at risk.
• Exploration of techniques to limit motion, handle residual motion, and calculate consequences.
• Emphasis on the importance of explicit uncertainty estimation.

Main Results:

• Identified key problem areas: defining tumor margins, managing interplay effects within the tumor, and determining irradiation of organs at risk.
• Outlined approaches to motion management, from simple to complex techniques.
• Highlighted the necessity of quantifying uncertainties in motion management.

Conclusions:

• Effective radiation therapy requires comprehensive strategies for managing patient and tumor motion.
• Accurate dose delivery depends on addressing uncertainties associated with motion throughout the treatment process.