With more than 900 000 new cases among men and 330 000 new cases among women each years, lung cancer is the most common over the world. Moreover, the lung cancer is one of the most difficult to treat.
Indeed, the successful of lung radiotherapy treatment might be compromised by tumour motions. Lung tumours are particularly concerned by this problem because their positions are under the breathing motion influence.
Our aim is to reduce the uncertainty on the lung tumour position during the breathing cycle. So, we propose to develop a complete thoracic biomechanical model. This model is monitored by measured external parameters (thorax outer-surface motion, air flow) and is able to precisely predict real-time location of lung tumour. Our lung environment biomechanical model is based on anatomy (pleuréand respiratory physiology. Skin, ribs and intercostal muscles and diaphragm are modelled and their action on lung motion is simulated. Deformations are computed with the Finite Element Method.