Clinical use of a mutual information-based automated image registration system for conformal radiotherapy treatment planning

Abstract

In this paper we describe the clinical use of an in-house mutual information-based image registration system for improving target volume definition in conformal radiotherapy treatment planning. This system enables a clinician to delineate clinical and anatomic structures on magnetic resonance and nuclear medicine imaging studies and have these structures geometrically mapped to the x-ray CT study used for treatment planning. This system requires very little user interaction and can accommodate a wide range of anatomic sites. These factors combined with consistent accuracy at the sub-voxel to voxel level have improved the overall quality and physician confidence in the delineation of target volumes and surrounding healthy tissues.