MO-A-217A-01: An Introduction to Contouring - Neck and Thorax

In the last decade IMRT and related treatment modes have become de facto, if not actual standards of care. These modes are heavily dependent on the anatomical modeling phase of treatment planning. It may in fact be argued that this is the most important step in the planning process, as the optimization and plan evaluation will be directly affected by a good or poor anatomical model. Physicists have increasingly been called upon to do much of this contouring, yet have traditionally had only a brief formal introduction to anatomy. This session will provide a brief overview and refresher on two anatomical regions that have come to be most often treated by IMRT and like modalities. Dr. Jonn Wu will discuss the contouring of prominent normal structures and target volumes in the thorax using multiple imaging modalities, and illuminate key concepts in identifying these structures. Emphasis will be placed on relevance to SBRT. Dr. I-Chow Hsu will discuss the structures in the pelvis relevant to prostatic treatments, including pelvic lymphatic chains, using CT and the Visible Human Project.

1. To better understand how to identify structures in the thorax 2. To better understand how to identify structures in the pelvis relevant to prostate treatments 3. To understand the impact and pitfalls of different imaging modalities in these anatomical locations.