Diagnostic Imaging Advances

Safe and efficient high-dose radiation delivery to target tissue, while minimizing the exposure and toxicity of adjacent non-target organs, is considered the paramount goal of stereotactic radiosurgery. With the expanding applications of stereotactic radiosurgery, the requirement for imaging tools to precisely and accurately guide treatment planning and posttreatment disease monitoring has also grown. As radiosurgery pioneers many frontiers in non-invasive personalized medicine, the need for reliable imaging biomarkers is particularly evident in oncologic practice where differentiation of treatment-related changes from tumor recurrence is of critical importance. This chapter reviews entity-specific and technical considerations of advanced imaging in the planning and follow-up of a variety of benign and malignant intracranial lesions, as well as lung, liver, pancreatic, and prostate tumors.