With the adaptation and application of image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), current patient care procedures must be examined and improved so that they will integrate properly with the present and future trends in the radiation oncology field.
IGRT is no stranger to radiation therapy practice. Ultrasound imaging and orthogonal preport films have been used to guide treatment for some time now. However, a revolutionary technology, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided radiation therapy, recently has been introduced into the realm of image guidance.
The development of IGRT has further advanced an existing technique--intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). ...