What is a potential effect of internal organ motion during treatment?

Internal organ motion during treatment can lead to the irradiation of unintended volumes. This is particularly significant in radiation therapy, where precise targeting of cancerous tissues is critical for minimizing damage to surrounding healthy organs. If an organ shifts due to breathing, digestion, or any bodily movement, the radiation beam may inadvertently affect areas not intended for treatment, increasing the risk of radiation exposure to healthy tissues.

Understanding this concept is essential for dosimetrists and radiation oncologists, as it emphasizes the importance of accounting for organ motion in treatment planning. Strategies like motion management techniques or adaptive radiation therapy may be employed to mitigate this risk and ensure that the radiation dose is delivered accurately to the clinical target volume (CTV) while sparing surrounding healthy tissues.

The other options do not accurately reflect the consequences of internal organ motion during treatment. Improved dose delivery to the CTV would not occur if motion displaces the tumor or target area. Lower overall treatment time is unrelated to the effects of organ motion, and efficient patient recovery time is also not directly impacted by this issue.