Physiological Modeling of Respiratory Motion Based on Ultra-Quality 4D-MRI in Patients with Lung and Liver Cancers
This study is being done to evaluate the effectiveness of ultra-quality 4 dimensional (4D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in producing images during breathing in patients with lung and liver cancers. Radiation therapy is used to treat cancerous tumors. For radiation therapy to be effective, the precise size, shape, and location of the tumor within the body must be known. A particular difficulty for radiation treatment planning for lung and liver cancer is that breathing causes the tumor to move during imaging and treatment. Therefore, the radiation treatment plan must also include tumor motion. Limitations of the current standard 4D imaging in radiation therapy, 4D computed tomography (CT), includes motion artifacts caused by irregular breathing and is not ideal for precision radiation therapy applications. MRI uses radio waves and a powerful magnet linked to a computer to create detailed pictures of areas inside the body. 4D MRI produces three-dimensional movies of the inside of the chest and abdomen while the patient is breathing, with time as the fourth dimension. 4D MRI may provide effective and more precise radiation treatment plans in patients with lung and liver cancers.