ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the techniques to deliver intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and its clinical application and considers some of the bedrocks on which the science of IMRT is based. Specifically these include the application of high-quality three-dimensional medical imaging to assist the planning of IMRT and its verification. The development of IMRT has challenged much conventional thinking in radiotherapy and requires people to reconsider the whole chain of radiotherapeutic processes. The introduction of IMRT requires a re-evaluation of the complete chain of radiotherapy processes. Image-guided radiotherapy attempts to image the moving tumour online in the treatment position, during treatment or at least before each fraction and to take account of the variation in the position of the target. J O. Kim et al have evaluated the feasibility of a held-breath self-gating technique in radiotherapy of lung cancer. Because lung tumours move during radiotherapy with respect to the beams applied, the determination of lung mobility is a key research area.
