Visual computing for radiation treatment planning

Radiation therapy (RT) is one of the major curative approaches for cancer that uses high doses of radiation to destroy malignant cells. Planning prior to treatment is crucial, given the risks it might pose for healthy tissues close to the tumor location. Visual computing is a fundamental component and an enabler of RT planning, from the acquisition of the image data of the patient to the actual delivery of the therapy. This chapter provides an overview of the compound planning process of RT and of the ways that visual computing has supported treatment planning in all its facets. We focus, especially, on visualization methods for supporting the definition of tumors and organs at risk, on solutions facilitating treatment plan design and dose calculations, and on approaches that enable the review and assessment of the treatment plan. We target both visualization and visual analytics strategies, and we also discuss the role of VR/AR in the field.