In real-time tracking radiation therapy, a target location is determined on biplane fluoroscopy performed with a dynamic flat-panel detector. While the target is tracked automatically during respiratory displacement, rib shadows overlapping a target can occasionally reduce tracking accuracy, said presenter Rie Tanaka, PhD, of Kanazawa University.
Bone-suppression techniques can reduce the conspicuity of bones on chest radiographs, so the researchers thought the method might improve tracking accuracy in this application, Tanaka said. After applying version 2.0 of SoftView bone-suppression image processing software (Riverain Medical), target tracking improved in eight of nine cases.
"Our study shows that the bone-suppression technique could improve tracking accuracy without special equipment and additional patient dose in real-time tracking radiation therapy," Tanaka told AuntMinnie.com. "Bone-suppression fluoroscopy is expected as a new measure for [tracking] respiratory displacement of a target."
