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Schulte R, Johnstone C, Boucher S, Esarey E, Geddes CGR, Kravchenko M, Kutsaev S, Loo BW, Méot F, Mustapha B, Nakamura K, Nanni EA, Obst-Huebl L, Sampayan SE, Schroeder CB, Sheng K, Snijders AM, Snively E, Tantawi SG, Van Tilborg J. Transformative Technology for FLASH Radiation Therapy. APPLIED SCIENCES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:5021. [PMID: 38240007 PMCID: PMC10795821 DOI: 10.3390/app13085021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The general concept of radiation therapy used in conventional cancer treatment is to increase the therapeutic index by creating a physical dose differential between tumors and normal tissues through precision dose targeting, image guidance, and radiation beams that deliver a radiation dose with high conformality, e.g., protons and ions. However, the treatment and cure are still limited by normal tissue radiation toxicity, with the corresponding side effects. A fundamentally different paradigm for increasing the therapeutic index of radiation therapy has emerged recently, supported by preclinical research, and based on the FLASH radiation effect. FLASH radiation therapy (FLASH-RT) is an ultra-high-dose-rate delivery of a therapeutic radiation dose within a fraction of a second. Experimental studies have shown that normal tissues seem to be universally spared at these high dose rates, whereas tumors are not. While dose delivery conditions to achieve a FLASH effect are not yet fully characterized, it is currently estimated that doses delivered in less than 200 ms produce normal-tissue-sparing effects, yet effectively kill tumor cells. Despite a great opportunity, there are many technical challenges for the accelerator community to create the required dose rates with novel compact accelerators to ensure the safe delivery of FLASH radiation beams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Schulte
- Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA
| | - Carol Johnstone
- Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL 60510, USA
| | - Salime Boucher
- RadiaBeam Technologies, LLC, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
| | - Eric Esarey
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | | | - Sergey Kutsaev
- RadiaBeam Technologies, LLC, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
| | - Billy W. Loo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - François Méot
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | | | - Kei Nakamura
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Emilio A. Nanni
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | | | - Stephen E. Sampayan
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551, USA
- Opcondys, Inc., Manteca, CA 95336, USA
| | | | - Ke Sheng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | | | - Emma Snively
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Sami G. Tantawi
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
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Mahmood MA, Lee SG, Lee SH, Kim HN, Lee K, Ahmad I, Yang JM, Yoon JW, Lee HW, Sung JH, Lee SK, Choi IW, Nam CH. Calibration of radiochromic EBT3 film using laser-accelerated protons. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2021; 92:023302. [PMID: 33648087 DOI: 10.1063/5.0031253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We present a proof of principle for onsite calibration of a radiochromic film (EBT3) using CR-39 as an absolute proton-counting detector and laser-accelerated protons as a calibration source. A special detector assembly composed of aluminum range filters, an EBT3 film, and a CR-39 detector is used to expose the EBT3 film with protons in an energy range of 3.65 MeV-5.85 MeV. In our design, the proton beam is divided into small beamlets and their projection images are taken on the EBT3 film and the CR-39 detector by maintaining a certain distance between the two detectors. Owing to the geometrical factor of the configuration and scattering inside the EBT3, the areal number density of protons was kept below the saturation level of the CR-39 detector. We also present a method to relate the number of protons detected on the CR-39 in a narrow energy range to protons with a broad energy spectrum that contribute to the dose deposited in the EBT3 film. The energy spectrum of protons emitted along the target normal direction is simultaneously measured using another CR-39 detector installed in a Thomson parabola spectrometer. The calibration curves for the EBT3 film were obtained in the optical density range of 0.01-0.25 for low dose values of 0.1 Gy-3.0 Gy. Our results are in good agreement with the calibrations of the EBT3 film that are traditionally carried out using conventional accelerators. The method presented here can be further extended for onsite calibration of radiochromic films of other types and for a higher range of dose values.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ahsan Mahmood
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Geun Lee
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hwa Lee
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Na Kim
- Research Center for Ultrafast Science, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea
| | - Kitae Lee
- Research Center for Ultrafast Science, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon 34057, Republic of Korea
| | - Izhar Ahmad
- National Institute of Lasers and Optronics College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Islamabad 45650, Pakistan
| | - Jeong Moon Yang
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woo Yoon
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwang Woon Lee
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Hee Sung
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Ku Lee
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Il Woo Choi
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Hee Nam
- Center for Relativistic Laser Science, Institute for Basic Science, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
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Schippers JM, Lomax A, Garonna A, Parodi K. Can Technological Improvements Reduce the Cost of Proton Radiation Therapy? Semin Radiat Oncol 2018; 28:150-159. [PMID: 29735191 DOI: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In recent years there has been increasing interest in the more extensive application of proton therapy in a clinical and preferably hospital-based environment. However, broader adoption of proton therapy has been hindered by the costs of treatment, which are still much higher than those in advanced photon therapy. This article presents an overview of on-going technical developments, which have a reduction of the capital investment or operational costs either as a major goal or as a potential outcome. Developments in instrumentation for proton therapy, such as gantries and accelerators, as well as facility layout and efficiency in treatment logistics will be discussed in this context. Some of these developments are indeed expected to reduce the costs. The examples will show, however, that a dramatic cost reduction of proton therapy is not expected in the near future. Although current developments will certainly contribute to a gradual decrease of the treatment costs in the coming years, many steps will still have to be made to achieve a much lower cost per treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Katia Parodi
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
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Karsch L, Beyreuther E, Enghardt W, Gotz M, Masood U, Schramm U, Zeil K, Pawelke J. Towards ion beam therapy based on laser plasma accelerators. Acta Oncol 2017; 56:1359-1366. [PMID: 28828925 DOI: 10.1080/0284186x.2017.1355111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Only few ten radiotherapy facilities worldwide provide ion beams, in spite of their physical advantage of better achievable tumor conformity of the dose compared to conventional photon beams. Since, mainly the large size and high costs hinder their wider spread, great efforts are ongoing to develop more compact ion therapy facilities. One promising approach for smaller facilities is the acceleration of ions on micrometre scale by high intensity lasers. Laser accelerators deliver pulsed beams with a low pulse repetition rate, but a high number of ions per pulse, broad energy spectra and high divergences. A clinical use of a laser based ion beam facility requires not only a laser accelerator providing beams of therapeutic quality, but also new approaches for beam transport, dosimetric control and tumor conformal dose delivery procedure together with the knowledge of the radiobiological effectiveness of laser-driven beams. Over the last decade research was mainly focused on protons and progress was achieved in all important challenges. Although currently the maximum proton energy is not yet high enough for patient irradiation, suggestions and solutions have been reported for compact beam transport and dose delivery procedures, respectively, as well as for precise dosimetric control. Radiobiological in vitro and in vivo studies show no indications of an altered biological effectiveness of laser-driven beams. Laser based facilities will hardly improve the availability of ion beams for patient treatment in the next decade. Nevertheless, there are possibilities for a need of laser based therapy facilities in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonhard Karsch
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Enghardt
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Dresden, Germany
| | - Malte Gotz
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Umar Masood
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schramm
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Karl Zeil
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jörg Pawelke
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany
- OncoRay – National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Masood U, Cowan TE, Enghardt W, Hofmann KM, Karsch L, Kroll F, Schramm U, Wilkens JJ, Pawelke J. A light-weight compact proton gantry design with a novel dose delivery system for broad-energetic laser-accelerated beams. Phys Med Biol 2017; 62:5531-5555. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/aa7124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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