The inclusion of PET imaging in intensity modulated radiation therapy treatment planning for head and neck cancers

Full text: Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) allows curative doses to be delivered to a target volume that is typically in the region of critical anatomical structures. The inclusion of molecular imaging to provide further pathological information, not seen in regular CT simulation images, has been proposed to aid target volume delineation. This work evaluates the usefulness of including PET images in IMRT treatment planning for head and neck cancer sites. We address the practical issue of how to accurately register a PET-CT data set with a radiotherapy planning CT data set. We also assess how to interpret the PET information and how this can be incorporated in the contouring of target volumes.