Deep Learning Spots Organs on CT Scans to Prevent Radiation Damage

Radiotherapy is a well established method for attacking tumors within the body. There are a number of techniques that are used to administer radiation to a lesion, but they all come with the risk of injuring nearby tissues and organs. Gamma beams and other directed high energy devices result in the exposure of all the tissues that are on the way to and on the other side of a target, which is a serious problem. Knowing where the important organs are in individual patients can allow clinicians to prepare radiation therapy treatments so that as little collateral damage occurs as possible. CT scans are usually used to map the internal anatomy.