I’m planning my first GI case
A learning roadmap: the concepts and resources to understand before planning esophageal, pancreatic, liver, rectal or anal cancer radiotherapy. It is not instruction on how to treat any specific patient.
- See the GI treatment pages
Esophagus, pancreas, liver SBRT, rectum and anal canal.
- Understand image fusion for GI targets
Why rectal targets are drawn on MRI, and how to check a registration.
- Compare sequential boost and SIB
Two ways to bring the tumor to a higher dose.
- Understand pelvic target volumes
Mesorectum, presacral space and the pelvic nodes.
- Understand dose painting
Several dose levels in one plan for anal cancer.
- Understand bowel contouring
Individual loops versus the bowel cavity, and why the limits differ.
- Understand upper-abdominal motion
Fasting, breath hold, fiducials and contrast timing.
- Review contouring resources
Organ contouring guides for the abdomen; rectal and anal organs are under Pelvis.
- Understand Vx and absolute-volume limits
How V45 Gy <195 cc differs from a percentage limit.
- Review the constraint tables
Every GI limit, with the source behind each value.
- Understand basic plan evaluation
Putting coverage, hotspots and organ doses together.