Multimodal Imaging to Improve Patient Selection and Optimize Treatment Planning and Delivery for Patients Undergoing...

Advances in radiation therapy techniques that allow for better normal tissue sparing have made reirradiation (reRT) a more viable option for managing locoregional recurrences in various cancers. However, severe toxicity and a high risk of second recurrence persist, emphasizing the need for improved patient selection and treatment planning. This scoping review, registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42023387364), followed PRISMA guidelines. A thorough search was conducted from 2012 to December 2023 in MEDLINE (via PubMed) and BioMed Central databases, focusing on studies that reported the value of multimodal imaging in enhancing patient selection and optimizing reRT planning. Inclusion criteria targeted studies involving MRI and PET imaging, with exclusions based on relevance, language, and quality.

Of 363 records identified, 29 studies met inclusion criteria. Most focused on high-grade glioma (HGG, 48%), head and neck cancer (HNC, 31%), and pelvic cancer (21%). In HGG, ¹⁸F-FET PET and GdT1w-MRI linked larger, metabolically active volumes with shorter overall survival (OS). Radiomic signatures from pre-reRT PET/MRI, extracted from the planned reRT volume, were associated with post-reRT recurrence, reflecting the prognostic value of intratumoral heterogeneity. Multimodal imaging differentiated disease progression from post-treatment changes, aiding target delineation. Techniques like ¹¹C-MET PET, ¹⁸F-FET PET, and diffusion-weighted imaging for HGG, as well as ¹⁸F-FDG PET and dynamic contrast imaging for HNC, enhanced target definition and enabled dose-painting. MRI-guided reRT reduced urinary toxicity in prostate cancer through precise treatment adaptation. Multimodal imaging is essential for patient selection, target delineation, and adaptive reRT in recurrent cancers. Further research and standardization are needed to maximize its clinical impact.