A consensus-based computed tomographic atlas for defining the regional lymph node stations in radiotherapy for lung cancer: The JLCS - JASTRO joint committee for developing an atlas of the regional lymph node stations in radiotherapy treatment planning for lung cancer

Abstract

Conformal radiotherapy treatment planning requires accurate delineation of anatomical structures including lymph node stations using axial CT images. Various contouring atlases have been created by societies or clinical trial groups to aid in treatment planning for head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, etc. But there are no atlases for regional lymph node delineation in radiotherapy for lung cancer. A JLCS - JASTRO joint committee proposed a consensus-based computed tomographic atlas for defining the regional lymph node station in radiotherapy for lung cancer based on the 7th Edition General Rule for Clinical and Pathological Record of Lung Cancer and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) lymph node map.