The Evolving Role of Artificial Intelligence in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning—A Literature Review

Abstract

This paper examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiotherapy for cancer treatment. The importance of radiotherapy in cancer management and its time-intensive planning process make AI adoption appealing especially with the escalating demand for radiotherapy.This review highlights the efficacy of AI across medical domains, where it surpasses human capabilities in areas such as cardiology and dermatology. Focusing on radiotherapy, the paper details AI's applications in target segmentation, dose optimization, and outcome prediction. It discusses adaptive radiotherapy's benefits and AI's potential to enhance patient outcomes with much improved treatment accuracy. The paper explores ethical concerns, including data privacy and bias, stressing the need for robust guidelines. Educating healthcare professionals and patients about AI's role is crucial as it acknowledges potential job-role changes and concerns about patients' trust in the use of AI.Overall, the integration of AI in radiotherapy holds transformative potential in streamlining processes, improving outcomes, and reducing costs. AI's potential to reduce healthcare costs underscores its significance with impactful change globally. However, successful implementation hinges on addressing ethical and logistical challenges and fostering collaboration among healthcare professionals and patient population data sets for its optimal utilization. Rigorous education, collaborative efforts, and global data sharing will be the compass guiding its' success in radiotherapy and healthcare.