IPEM Guidelines on the use of MRI for external beam radiotherapy treatment planning
Speight, R. Dubec, Michael Eccles, Cynthia L Georg, B. Henry, A. Herbert, T. Johnstone, R. Liney, G. McCallum, H. Schmidt, M.
Speight, R.
Dubec, Michael
Eccles, Cynthia L
Georg, B.
Henry, A.
Herbert, T.
Johnstone, R.
Liney, G.
McCallum, H.
Schmidt, M.
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
Purpose or Objective
The role of MRI to guide external beam radiotherapy (RT) treatment planning is growing. The literature shows
significant heterogeneity in the way that MRI for RT is implemented and there is some evidence that this is, in
part, due to a lack of consensus in the literature and guidance from professional bodies [1-2]. To combat this,
The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) commissioned a working party to produce a
guidance document on the use of MRI for RT treatment planning. This guidance has now been published [3]
and its key findings will be discussed in this abstract.
Materials and Methods
The guidelines were produced by a multi-disciplinary party consists of 10 members which first met in February
2018. The guidance is based on the experience of the institutions represented in the IPEM working party, in
consultation with other institutions, as well as information taken from the literature. It has multi-disciplinary
endorsement from the professional bodies IPEM, Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the Society of
Radiographers (SCoR). Guidance is only given for MRI acquired for external beam RT treatment planning in a
CT-based workflow, i.e. when MRI is acquired and registered to CT with the purpose of aiding delineation of
target or organ at risk volumes. MRI use for treatment response assessment, MRI-only RT and other RT
treatment types such as brachytherapy, gamma radiosurgery and MR linac are not considered within the scope
of this document.
Results
The guidelines are designed to be a practical document which can benefit all involved disciplines and give
advice on introducing an RT workload onto a non-RT-dedicated MR scanner, as well as planning for installation
of an MR scanner dedicated for RT (sometimes referred to as an MR-sim). Practical guidance is given on the
following, in the context of RT planning: safety; training and education for all staff working in and around an
MR scanner; RT patient set-up on an MR scanner; MRI sequence optimisation for RT purposes; commissioning
and quality assurance (QA) to be performed on an MR scanner; and MRI to CT registration, including
commissioning and QA.
Conclusion
For the first time a guidance document has been produced on the use of MR in external beam radiotherapy
treatment planning. This has been produced by a multidisciplinary team and is endorsed by multiple
professional bodies. It is hoped that this document will aid in the safe implementation of MRI for external
beam radiotherapy treatment planning both for centres with dedicated MR scanners for radiotherapy and for
centres with MR access for radiotherapy on scanners owned by radiology. Furthermore, it is hoped that this document will harmonise how this technology is introduced internationally.
[1] - Speight et al. (2019) https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/ab2c7c
[2] - Speight et al. (2021) https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/abe9f7
[3] - Speight et al. (2021) https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6560/abdc30
Description
Date
2021
Publisher
Collections
Keywords
Type
Meetings and Proceedings
Citation
Speight R, Dubec M, Eccles C, Georg B, Henry A, Herbert T, et al. IPEM Guidelines on the use of MRI for external beam radiotherapy treatment planning. Radiotherapy and Oncology. 2021;161:S1455-S6.