Intermediate Technical IVT

Megavoltage Computed Tomography

Also written as: MVCT — Megavoltage Computed Tomography

Imaging technique using treatment beam energies to acquire CT images for patient setup verification and adaptive planning.

Full Definition

Megavoltage Computed Tomography (MVCT) utilizes the therapeutic megavoltage beam from the linear accelerator to acquire computed tomography images for treatment verification and guidance. Unlike kilovoltage imaging, MVCT provides images with reduced artifacts from metal implants but with lower soft tissue contrast. This technology is integrated into certain treatment delivery systems, such as TomoTherapy units, enabling daily imaging for setup verification and adaptive treatment planning based on anatomical changes during the course of treatment.

Usage

Usage note: Commonly abbreviated as MVCT or MV-CT.

In Context

"Daily megavoltage computed tomography images revealed significant tumor shrinkage requiring plan adaptation." — Treatment adaptation report
"MVCT image quality was sufficient for bone alignment but limited for soft tissue delineation." — Image guidance assessment

Also known as

MV-CT

Contrasted with

kilovoltage CT

Don't confuse with

megavoltage portal imaging MV planar imaging

Megavoltage ← Back to glossary MLC leaf sequencing