Intro to Contouring

-Tenzin Yiga
What is contouring?
● Contouring is done in the initial stages of treatment planning. After
the CT of the patient is acquired.

● It is basically an outline of the structures in the area of interest that

the radiation beam may pass through and deliver some amount of
dose
○ You can contour organs at risk (OAR) such as the heart, lungs, kidney, etc
○ You can also contour in artifact (streaking) caused by metals and force density to
that region to make up for tissue degradation caused by the artifact
○ You can contour in metals for better visualization or force densities such as for
implant buttons
Why contour?
● Contouring is essential for treatment planning purposes because it separates the different
structures inside the human body and it allows the planning software to track dose to each
specific contour

● This is where accuracy is very important

● For the treatment plan to be accurate the contours must also be accurate
○ You should be very detailed in your contouring
■ Try to avoid over contouring or under contouring!
● This will lead to inaccurate planning
Examples of over and under contouring
● Over contouring: Outlining much beyond the
structure

● Under contouring: Outlining not enough of the

structure
Contouring software
Ex: ECLIPSE TPS
Summary
● Contouring is an essential step of the planning process where dosimetrist are expected
to create accurate outlines of various structures within the treatment area that will be
represented for dose control and measurement.