Abstract
To improve complication-free disease control, various sophisticated high-tech external beam therapy approaches have been proposed that allow delivering adequate doses to both tumor and areas of lymphatic drainage, while at the same improving sparing of the primary organs at risk rectum, bladder and bowel structures. These techniques are based on improved immobilization, the use of intensity modulation for both high energy photons and protons, and the use of image guidance for patient set-up verification. It is well known that the topography of the female pelvis shows substantial changes during time due to organ movement and tumor shrinkage, thus image guidance is mandatory when applying steep dose gradients to increasing conformity of external beam therapy plans. Although advanced external beam therapy techniques have challenged brachytherapy as a boost modality, image guidance with optimization has contributed to sustain brachytherapy as the golden standard as a boost technique. This chapter addresses the physics perspectives of intensity modulation, image guidance and the combination with advanced brachytherapy for the treatment of locally advanced cervix cancer.
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Georg, D., Kirisits, C. (2011). Physics Perspectives on the Role of 3D Imaging. In: Viswanathan, A., Kirisits, C., Erickson, B., Pötter, R. (eds) Gynecologic Radiation Therapy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68958-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-68958-4_6
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