Heart planning organ at risk volume automated contouring and applications to adaptive radiation therapy (HeART)
The toxic effects of incidental irradiation of the heart in radiotherapy, also known as cardiotoxic effects, such as myocardial infarction, have been demonstrated in patients with lung and breast cancer. These cardiotoxic effects can already occur within a few years after the irradiation. With new targeted therapies, a trend towards longer surviving times for cancer patients has started and accordingly has increased also the likelihood of cardiotoxic effects if the patients have received incidental irradiation of the heart. One of the possible causes for this misdosage is heart movement due to respiration. This movement can be as large as 13 mm and can significantly impact on the amount of incidental dose in the heart and therefore on the cardiac toxicity produced. Ongoing projects on this topic include: automated segmentation of the heart and of its sub-regions taking movement into account, both at the simulation and at the treatment stages; automated definition of a cardiac planned restricted volume as a no fly zone for irradiation; (real-time) treatment adaptation based on heart (subregions) position.
If you are interested in this topic and you are looking for further information, please contact me: email d3.fontanarosa@qut.edu.au, ph. 0403862724.
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