title: Feasibility of using MRI alone for 3D radiation treatment planning in brain tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to establish whether radiation treatment planning using MRI alone could replace CT-based planning for brain tumors while retaining the dosimetric accuracy. This would help to provide a single imaging modality for both target delineation as well as treatment planning, thus saving time and resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients with brain tumors were scanned on a spiral CT scanner and 1.5 T MRI scanner. Three treatment plans were generated for all patients. The first plan was generated using the CT scan images with inhomogeneity correction (CT + IC); the second plan used the CT scan without inhomogeneity correction (CT-IC) and the third plan was generated using the MRI scan (MRI alone).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximum distortion in the MRI phantom study was less than 1 mm. There were no statistically significant differences in any of the target coverage parameters analysed in this study. Similarly, the maximum antero-posterior and lateral dimensions for the CT-based and MRI-based planning did not show any statistical difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MRI-based treatment planning for brain lesions is feasible and gives equivalent dosimetric results compared to CT-based treatment planning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. rampraba@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Julka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ganesh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Munshi
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Rath
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed