Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies Find out more

Technological Advancements In Radiotherapy Leading To Dose Delivery via FLASH

LEAD SUPERVISOR: Dr Kristoffer Petersson, Department of Oncology

Co-supervisor: Prof. Amato Giaccia, Department of Oncology

Commercial partner: Teledyne e2v (Teledyne UK Limited)

 

Over 25% of cancer patients in the UK receive radiotherapy, often delivered in multiple fractions over several weeks. This project seeks to improve radiotherapy treatment options through novel dose delivery, culminating in photon FLASH radiotherapy. This would reduce the number of radiotherapy fractions required and could improve patient outcomes and quality of life.  The university of Oxford and Teledyne e2v will collaborate on this project. Teledyne e2v has products in more than 98% of linear accelerator-based radiotherapy machines globally.

FLASH radiotherapy is an innovative radiotherapy delivery methodology using ultra-high dose rates.  Recent global research has indicated that FLASH can reduce radiation induced damage in healthy tissues with unchanged anti-tumour effect.  In addition, the number of treatment fractions can be substantially reduced and, with treatment times in the order of 100ms, higher patient throughput and a reduction in patient motion can be achieved. 

To date, most FLASH research is performed using proton or electron beams. There are many technical challenges delivering clinical FLASH employing these methods.  Using protons requires large and expensive facilities, and electron FLASH is currently only able to treat superficial tumours.  University of Oxford and Teledyne e2v are seeking to develop a solution using photons. This would enable Teledyne e2v to produce a system which is lower cost with a smaller footprint with reduced infrastructure requirements creating an affordable system across all geographical regions. 

The project outcome should provide the feasibility of the photon FLASH system alongside a dose delivery method which can provide higher dose rates in order to reduce breath-hold and treatment times for current radiotherapy systems.

This project gives the student the opportunity to work with leading FLASH researchers and experts in RF power generation for radiotherapy to advance radiotherapy and improve patient experience and treatment throughputs.

 

 

Apply using course: DPhil in Oncology

 

 

MRC logo