What the Diagnostic Radiologist Needs to Know about Radiation Oncology

Radiology: Volume 261: Number 1 - October 2011

Stephanie A. Terezakis, MD Dwight E. Heron, MD Ruth F. Lavigne, MD Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD Billy W. Loo,Jr,MD,PhD

Substantial technologic advances in radiation treatment planning and delivery have made possible exquisite tailor­ing of three-dimensional radiation dose distributions that conform to the tumor treatment volume while avoiding ad­jacent normal tissues. Although such highly precise treat­ment can increase the therapeutic ratio, it also introduces the potential that tumor extension outside the target is missed because it is unrecognized at the time of radiation treatment planning. As a result, accurate targeting of the tumor with radiation is of utmost importance to the radia­tion oncologist. Communication between diagnostic radiol­ogists and radiation oncologists is essential, particularly given the subtleties that accompany image interpreta­tion, to optimize the care of the cancer patient.