ESR MR Safety and Quality Subcommittee Session

MR 12 - MR quality and radiotherapy planning

February 28, 08:00 - 09:00 CET

6 min
Chairperson's introduction
Anna Pichiecchio, Pavia / Italy
18 min
The MR quality landscape in Europe: results of the ESR survey
Simone Busoni, Firenze / Italy
  1. To learn about the current state of MR quality practices and standards across Europe based on the comprehensive survey conducted by the ESR MR Safety and Quality Working Group, highlighting the variability in quality assurance protocols, performance metrics, and benchmarking initiatives.
  2. To understand the key challenges and barriers to implementing robust MR quality programmes in different European countries, such as resource limitations, lack of standardisation, and variations in regulatory requirements and accreditation processes.
  3. To appreciate the potential impact of harmonising MR quality practices and standards across Europe on improving diagnostic accuracy, patient outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of MRI examinations and to explore strategies and recommendations for achieving this goal.
18 min
How to trust the "numbers" of quantitative MRI?
Christoffer Laustsen, Aarhus / Denmark
  1. To understand the principles and techniques of quantitative MRI, including parametric mapping, relaxometry, and diffusion imaging, and their potential applications in clinical diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of various diseases.
  2. To learn about the sources of variability and bias in quantitative MRI measurements, such as scanner hardware, software, calibration differences, patient-related factors, and image processing and analysis methods, and to appreciate the importance of standardisation and quality control in ensuring the reliability and reproducibility of quantitative MRI data.
  3. To explore strategies and best practices for validating and interpreting quantitative MRI results, including phantom-based calibration, cross-site comparisons, and correlation with clinical and pathological benchmarks, and to understand the limitations and pitfalls of relying solely on "numbers" without considering the broader clinical context and individual patient factors.
18 min
Quality assurance for MR in radiotherapy
Dietmar Georg, Vienna / Austria
  1. To understand the unique quality assurance requirements and challenges for MRI in the context of radiotherapy planning and guidance, including the need for high geometric accuracy, stability, and reproducibility of MR images for precise target delineation and dose calculation.
  2. To learn about the key components of a comprehensive quality assurance programme for MR in radiotherapy, including regular phantom-based measurements, daily and weekly quality control tests, and end-to-end system checks, and to appreciate the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration among radiologists, radiation oncologists, physicists, and technologists in implementing and maintaining such a programme.
  3. To explore advanced techniques and technologies for optimising MR image quality and quantitative accuracy for radiotherapy applications, such as MR-LINAC systems, functional MRI, and MR-based synthetic CT generation, and to understand their potential benefits and limitations in clinical practice.