Accelerating medical treatments

Sabrina El Yacoubi — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:54:13 +0000

Accelerating medical treatments
by Kate Kahle (CERN)

Image 1: Extract from "Novel Techniques in Proton Therapy" presented at ICTR-PHE 2012 showing the usability of different types of accelerators for proton therapy now and in the future (click image to enlarge). Image credit: Marco Schippers, PSI.
Image 2: Conceptual design for the CIEMAT/CERN smallest-possible superconducting cyclotron for medical isotopes, with a magnet only 0.8 m in diameter. Image credit: CIEMAT.

In February, the physics and medical communities came together at the ICTR-PHE 2012 conference in Geneva. Within the scientific programme, the session "Novel Technologies in Radiation Therapy" looked at the present and emerging roles of accelerators in medical treatments.

The session opened with "Novel Techniques in Proton Therapy" by Marco Schippers, PSI, who explained the need for high quality, accuracy, flexibility, intensity and energy coupled with low prices and hence reduction in size. Currently the cyclotron scores the highest for usability for proton therapy, but, in the future, linacs, FFAG and plasma wakefield may also prove usable options.

In addition, Dewi Lewis, in his highlight talk at the EuCARD annual meeting, presents "Evolution of accelerator design for medical isotopes production", linked to his recent article in the CERN Courier "Medical-isotope cyclotron designs go full circle", This article examines the role of cyclotrons in medicine over the years and discusses the interplay that has existed between industry and the accelerator laboratories. The article showcases the latest collaboration between CERN and CIEMAT, using LHC accelerator technology and expertise to help design and build the smallest-possible cyclotron using superconducting technology with a proton energy of around 8 MeV, the objective being to produce single-patient doses of radioisotopes.

accelerating-news-arc.web.cern.ch - cyclotron

Accelerating medical treatments