Future prospects in planning radiation therapy.
Recent advances in imaging, especially computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and in the power and capabilities of reasonably priced computers and image display devices will permit a substantial extension of the scope of computer programs designed to help plan cancer therapy. All available diagnostic studies could be incorporated into the process of assessing the patient's disease, picking a treatment modality, and determining details of the selected treatment. Fully three-dimensional simulation of any possible treatment will be possible and methods for comparing and choosing between possible rival plans will be developed. Monitoring of the treatment machine and verification of the adequacy of the delivered treatment will be facilitated, and the follow-up of the patient and statistical analysis of the results of treatment can be incorporated into the overall programming system.
D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000639:trends*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012984:Software; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data