Diagnostic Imaging - 4D CT Scanning

CTRC has the ability to perform 4D CT scans along with the standard CT scans.  Typically, CT scans show patient anatomy at a point of time.  The scan will show the physician where the internal tissues and organs were at the time the scan was performed, but they do not show how the organs move inside the patient when the patient breathes.  For organs that tend to move, this is very important information the physicians did not have access to until 4D scans.  A 4D CT scan is a CT scan that is taken over a longer time period, and it allows the physician to see exactly how the organs and tissues move inside the patient while the patient breathes.  This is critical when a radiation oncologist is deciding how to treat a patient, and it allows the radiation oncologist the ability to track the tumor while the patient breathes to make sure that the tumor is receiving the correct amount of radiation even if it moves.

Source: National Cancer Institute