TU-FG-202-02: Modern Intracavitary GYN Brachytherapy.

The greater use of magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in brachytherapy, for both image based planning and image guided procedures, presents a number of challenges for the physicist involved. MR is widely acknowledged as the imaging modality of choice to appreciate a patient's pelvic anatomy and is thus used more often for brachytherapy of gynecologic and prostate cancers. Incorporating MR in brachytherapy treatments requires changes throughout the clinical workflow from implantation through target definition, applicator digitization and post-implant evaluation. These presentations will review the some of the concerns encountered in image based brachytherapy environment, highlight the challenges to incorporating more information from MR, and discuss some of the technical developments underway to facilitate the further use of MR in brachytherapy.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. To review the rationale for incorporating MR in image based brachytherapy for treatment of gynecologic and prostate cancers. 2. To review the technical challenges encountered when using brachytherapy devices in an MR environment. 3. To discuss some developments to facilitate MR based planning and guidance. J. Cunha, Phillips Healthcare.