Deformable image registration applied to lung SBRT: Usefulness and limitations

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiotherapy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Lung radiation therapy (RT) necessitates accurate deformation analysis.
• Deformable image registration (DIR) is the core technology for quantifying these deformations.
• DIR is indispensable for lung RT applications such as motion compensation and dose accumulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the primary applications of DIR in lung RT.
• To identify and discuss the uncertainties associated with DIR in lung RT.
• To highlight the limitations of current DIR algorithms for clinical implementation.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of DIR algorithms and their applications in lung RT.
• Analysis of uncertainties inherent in DIR processes.
• Examination of limitations impacting clinical deployment of DIR.

Main Results:

• DIR is fundamental for lung RT, enabling critical functions like contour propagation and dose accumulation.
• Significant uncertainties exist in DIR, affecting the reliability of deformation quantification.
• Existing DIR algorithms possess limitations that require careful consideration by clinicians.

Conclusions:

• DIR is unavoidable in lung RT, but its complexity and limitations demand user awareness.
• Understanding DIR uncertainties is vital for safe and effective clinical application.
• Further research and development are needed to address DIR limitations in lung RT.