Radiation Technologies at the Cancer Institute
Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center has been providing cutting-edge radiation treatment including three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) to the community.
These new modalities of treatment are based on detailed imaging information. In the future, the Outpatient Cancer Center hopes to further enhance its image fusion capabilities for the benefit of cancer patients. Currently, we are already fusing (i.e. combining) MRI and CT images to further delineate treatment targets for brain cancer patients.
Each imaging modality (e.g. CT scan, MRI, bone scan, PET scan) has its own strengths and weaknesses. Through image fusion technology, physicians may be able to extract additional clinical information. The new information should lead to better diagnosis and target definition during radiation treatment planning. The ultimate goal is to better identify the target (tumor and related regional areas) and to further avoid surrounding normal tissues' exposure to potentially undesirable effects of radiation treatment.
