Informatics in radiology: DICOM-RT and its utilization in radiation therapy

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Radiation Oncology Informatics

Background:

• The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard is the established protocol for diagnostic imaging.
• Extensions of DICOM are crucial for specialized medical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the DICOM-RT standard as an extension of DICOM for radiation therapy.
• To highlight the importance of DICOM-RT for data integration and system interoperability in radiation oncology.

Main Methods:

• Development of seven specific DICOM-RT objects: RT Image, RT Structure Set, RT Plan, RT Dose, RT Beams Treatment Record, RT Brachy Treatment Record, and RT Treatment Summary Record.
• Definition of well-structured data models for each DICOM-RT object.

Main Results:

• Established DICOM-RT objects with defined data models for radiation therapy.
• Facilitated integration of radiation therapy information into electronic patient records.
• Enabled interoperability between diverse radiation therapy systems.

Conclusions:

• DICOM-RT standardizes radiation therapy data, improving information exchange.
• The defined data models support seamless sharing of radiation therapy data across different systems.
• DICOM-RT is essential for advancing electronic patient records and system interoperability in radiation oncology.