Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
reproduced in the atlas. The problem is a difficult one, and a good
solution is eagerly awaited.
S
UMMARY
The ability to map anatomy is vital to planning radiation therapy. For
decades, the only tools for this human cartography were the
therapist's ability to: look with his or her eyes; feel with his or her
fingers; and inspect X-ray radiographs which showed a tangle of
superimposed anatomy with poor contrast. We are amazingly for-
tunate that a number of new imaging tools have dramatically changed
the situation. CT, MRI, PET, and ultrasound have dramatically im-
proved our ability to delineate and locate in space both gross tumor
and the patient's normal anatomy. This ability is the
sine qua non
of modern radiation therapy.
