Differences in Efficiency of Radiation Therapy Workflow With Versus Without PET/CT for Planning
| Workflow for initial treatment | Workflow for prior treatment | ||||||
| Without PET/CT | With PET/CT | Without PET/CT | With PET/CT | ||||
| Task | Time (min) | Task | Time (min) | Task | Time (min) | Task | Time (min) |
| Import images | 3 | Import images | 3 | Import images | 3 | Import images | 3 |
| Image registration* | 20 | Image registration† | 3 | Image registration* | 20 | Rigid registration | 10 |
| Verify registration | 20 | Verify registration | 4 | Verify registration | 20 | Verify registration | 20 |
| Transfer/deform contours | 30 | Transfer contours | 10 | ||||
| Verify contours on new CT | 10 | Verify contours on new CT | 10 | ||||
| Deform prior dose to current CT | 10 | ||||||
| Verify dose transfer to new CT | 10 | ||||||
| Import images into planning software | 4 | Import images into planning software | 4 | ||||
| Contour | 240 | Contour | 120 | Contour | 240 | Contour | 240 |
| Planning | 1,440 | Planning | 1,440 | Planning | 1,440 | Planning | 1,440 |
| Insert plan sum | 5 | Insert plan sum | 5 | ||||
| Evaluate plan summation | 10 | Evaluate plan summation | 10 | ||||
| Total time | 1,727 | Total time | 1,570 | Total time | 1,802 | Total time | 1,748 |