Implementation of Image-guided Radiotherapy

摘要

Imaged-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) is not a new technique; rather, it has evolved over the past few decades. It has been defined in many ways, but for the purposes of this Editorial it can be thought of as any imaging at pre-treatment and delivery, the result of which is acted upon, that improves or verifies the accuracy of radiotherapy. Although imaging at the time of treatment delivery, for example electronic portal imaging, has been available since the early 1990s, the consistency and frequency of use throughout the UK has been variable. This led to the publication of On target: ensuring geometric accuracy in radiotherapy in 2008 [1] detailing guidance for two-dimensional imaging, which included explanations of methods to determine set-up error and to calculate treatment set-up margins. In parallel with the publication of On target: ensuring geometric accuracy in radiotherapy [1], the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group report [2] set the national strategy for radiotherapy and advised that the National Health Service should aspire to image-guided four-dimensional adaptive radiotherapy as the future standard of ￡are for radical radiotherapy treatment [2]. Since then, significant technical advances have occurred in all aspects of radiotherapy from target delineation, radiotherapy planning and treatment delivery and, in particular, verification. Therefore, the effective implementation and evaluation of new IGRT techniques is essential.