Image-oriented planning of minimally invasive conformal radiotherapy in the head and neck

Modern imaging techniques are a substantial part of treatment planning for minimally invasive radiotherapeutic procedures. The aim is three-dimensional assessment of the target volume and adjacent critical structures, In this paper, we report on our clinical experience with a precise system for stereotactic image correlation. Hereby, the advantages of each imaging modality can be combined, Precise immobilization of the patient is a prerequisite. The immobilization method has an accuracy of less than 1 mm. This method was evaluated in a clinical study in which a tumor control rate of 93 % was achieved in patients with brain metastases after stereotactic single high dose radiotherapy, This indicated the excellent reliability of this treatment planning method. The integration of functional image information, such as blood flow or activation of cerebral cortical areas, will be evaluated in the future.