[PET/CT in radiotherapy : indications and potential applications]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiotherapy
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Functional imaging, including PET/CT, offers insights into biological properties relevant to cancer management.
• Current radiotherapy practices can benefit from advanced imaging techniques for improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current integration of functional imaging in radiotherapy.
• To explore the future potential contributions of functional imaging in radiation oncology.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on functional imaging in radiotherapy.
• Analysis of PET/CT applications in staging, treatment planning, and follow-up.

Main Results:

• Functional imaging enhances disease staging and patient selection for radiotherapy.
• PET/CT parameters can serve as predictive biomarkers for treatment response.
• Imaging aids in defining target volumes for dose escalation (dose-painting).
• Functional imaging is valuable for assessing treatment response during follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Functional imaging is integral to modern radiotherapy, impacting all stages of patient management.
• Future applications of functional imaging promise further optimization of radiotherapy delivery and patient care.