PET scans in radiotherapy planning of lung cancer

Dirk De Ruysscher*, Ursula Nestle, Robert Jeraj, Michael MacManus

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Accurate delineation of the primary tumor and of involved lymph nodes is a key requisite for successful curative radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In recent years, it has become clear that the incorporation of FDG PET-CT scan information into the related processes of patient selection and radiotherapy planning has lead to significant improvements for patients with NSCLC. The use of FDG PET-CT information in radiotherapy planning allows better target volume definition, reduces inter-observer variability and encourages selective irradiation of involved mediastinal lymph nodes. PET-CT also opens the door for innovative radiotherapy delivery and the development of new concepts. However, care must be taken to avoid a variety of technical pitfalls and specific education is necessary, for clinicians and physicists alike.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)141-145
JournalLung Cancer
Volume75
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2012

Keywords

  • PET
  • Radiotherapy
  • Lung cancer
  • Planning
  • Delineation

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