Junior research group „Image and Surface guided Radiotherapy”

Research profile

Institute for Intelligent Systems in Medicine (MIISM) is dedicated to advancing the precision, safety, and effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancer treatment by using imaging techniques. Our group explores novel approaches with advanced imaging techniques and surface-guided technologies to enhance the targeting accuracy and to minimize radiation exposure to healthy tissues in order to improve the radiotherapy quality.

Beside extensive expertise in image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) with 3D-kV-imaging, MV-imaging and US-imaging, the JRG is specialized to surface guided radiotherapy using optical systems for patient positioning and motion management in radiotherapy, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and stereotactic radiosurgery/radiotherapy (SRS/SRT). Further, the JRG conducts extensive research on Cherenkov Imaging in radiation therapy to increase the quality and safety of patient treatments.

Team

Publications

Macedo-Jiménez F, Kalisch I, Simeonova-Chergou A, Boda-Heggemann J, Fleckenstein J, Dreher C, Giordano FA, Stieler F. Analysis of intra-fractional surface motion during adaptive radiation therapy and relation of internal vs. external position for prostate cancer. Radiat Oncol. 2025 Apr 17;20(1):57.

Kästner L, Streb L, Hetjens S, Bürgy D, Sihono D, Fleckenstein J, Kalisch I, Eckl M, Giordano F, Lohr F, Stieler F*, Boda-Heggemann J*. Surface guidance compared with ultrasound-based monitoring and diaphragm position in cone-beam computed tomography during abdominal stereotactic radiotherapy in breath-hold. phiRO 2023  June; Vol 27.

Lena Kaestner, Yasser Abo-Madyan, Lena Huber, Manon Spaniol, Kerstin Siebenlist, Marie-Kristin Sacks, Michael Ehmann, Florian Stieler, Sven Clausen, Frank Lohr, Jens Fleckenstein, Judit Boda-Heggemann. Motion Management in a Patient With Tracheostomy During Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: Breath Hold Is Worth a Try. Advances in RO 2022 Jun; Volume 7, Issue 3.

Boda-Heggemann J, Sihono DSK, Streb L, Mertens L, Vogel L, Stieler F, Wenz F, Giordano FA, Kalisch I, Lohr F, Fleckenstein J. Ultrasound-based repositioning and real-time monitoring for abdominal SBRT in DIBH. Phys Med 2019 65: 46–52.v

Stieler F, Wenz F, Schweizer B, Polednik M, Giordano FA, Mai S. Validation of frame-based positioning accuracy with cone-beam computed tomography in Gamma Knife Icon radiosurgery. Phys Med 2018, 52: 93-97.

Vogel L, Sihono DSK, Weiss C, Lohr F, Stieler F, Wertz HJ, von Swietochowski S, Simeonova-Chergou A, WenzF, Blessing M and Boda-Heggemann J. Intra-breath-hold residual motion of image-guided DIBH liver-SBRT: An estimation by ultrasound-based monitoring correlated with diaphragm position in CBCT. Radiother Oncol 2018 129(3): 441-48.

Blessing M, Hofmann J, Vogel L, Boda-Heggemann J, Lohr F, Wenz F, Stieler F and Simeonova-Chergou A. An offline technique to evaluate residual motion of the diaphragm during deep inspiratory breath-hold from cone-beam CT datasets. Strahlenther Onkol 2018. 194(9): 855-60.

Boda-Heggemann J, Knopf A, Simeonova A, Wertz HJ, Stieler F, Jahnke A, Jahnke L, Fleckenstein J, Vogel L, Arns A, Blessing M, Wenz F, Lohr F. DIBH (Deep Inspiratory Breath Hold)-based radiotherapy – a clinical review. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2016 Mar 1;94(3):478-92.

Stieler F, Wenz F, Abo-Madyan Y, Schweizer B, Polednik M, Herskind C, Giordano FA, Mai S. Adaptive fractionated stereotactic Gamma Knife radiotherapy of meningioma using integrated stereotactic cone-beam-CT and adaptive re-planning (a-gkFSRT). Strahlenther Onkol. 2016 Nov;192(11): 815-19.

Simeonova-Chergou A, Jahnke A, Siebenlist K, Stieler F, Mai S, Boda-Heggemann J, Wenz F, Lohr F, Jahnke L. Automatically gated image-guided breath-hold IMRT is a fast, precise, and dosimetrically robust treatment for lung cancer patients. Strahlenther Onkol. 2016 Mar;192(3):166-73.

Boda-Heggemann J, Mai S, Fleckenstein J, Siebenlist K, Steil V, Wenz F, Lohr F, Stieler F. Flattening-filter-free intensity modulated breath-hold image guided SABR (Stereotactic ABlative Radiotherapy) can be applied in a 15-min treatment slot. Radiother Oncol. 2013. 109(3): p. 505-9.

Stieler F, Wenz F, Mengying S, Lohr F. A novel surface imaging system for patient positioning and surveillance in radiotherapy – a phantom study and clinical evaluation. Strahlenther Onkol. 2013 Nov; 189(11): 938-44.

Stieler F, Wenz F, Scherrer D, Bernhardt M, Lohr F. Clinical Evaluation of a commercial surface imaging system for patient positioning in radiotherapy. Strahlenther Onkol. 2012 Dec; 188(12): 1080-84.