Assessing the impact of radiation‐induced changes in soft tissue density/thickness on the study of radiation‐induced perfusion changes in the lung and heart
Abstract
Abnormalities in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion within the lung and heart are often detected following radiation for tumors in/around the thorax (e.g., lung cancer or left‐sided breast cancer). The presence of SPECT perfusion defects is determined by comparing pre‐ and post‐RT SPECT images. However, RT may increase the density of the soft tissue surrounding the lung/heart (e.g., chest wall/breast) that could possibly lead to an “apparent” SPECT perfusion defect due to increased attenuation of emitted photons. Further, increases in tissue effective depth will also increase SPECT photon attenuation and may lead to “apparent” SPECT perfusion defects. The authors herein quantitatively assess the degree of density changes and effective depth in soft tissues following radiation in a series of patients on a prospective clinical study.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2012
- Source ID
- 10.1118/1.4766433
Entities
People
- David V. Fried
- Jessica L. Hubbs
- Lawrence B. Marks
- Mert Saynak
- Michael V. Lawrence
- Rebecca L. Green
- Ronald J. Jaszczak
- Shiva K. Das
- Sumin Zhou
- Ted A. Bateman
- Terence Z. Wong
Organizations
- National Institutes of Health
- United States Department of Defense