Toward eliminating CT imaging in proton therapy - are we certain?

Abstract:

Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiotherapy that precisely targets tumors but requires high-quality imaging for accurate target definition. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers excellent soft tissue contrast, but current proton dose calculations rely on computed tomography (CT) images, necessitating both CT and MRI. This results in multiple imaging sessions, increased costs, and potential dose errors due to image registration challenges. The recent concept of MRI-only radiotherapy promises to resolve these issues, enabling radiation treatments without CT images, but requires dose calculation on MRI. The current project aims to develop, integrate, and test deep learning solutions for precise MRI-only proton dose calculations in clinical settings. Special emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of dose prediction uncertainties and clinical feasibility.

About Armin:

Armin Lühr is a medical physicist specializing in radiotherapy, particularly proton therapy. Currently a Juniorprofessor and group leader at TU Dortmund University’s Department of Physics, he focuses on translating fundamental research into clinical practice and training the next generation of medical physicists. He earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the Humboldt University of Berlin in 2010 and has since held research positions at key institutions in oncology research, including Aarhus University, Denmark, the German Cancer Consortium and the National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology–OncoRay in Dresden, Germany.