LET in Proton Therapy and New Experimental Treatment Strategies

Exploring new proton therapy techniques, mostly spatially fractionated therapy, the role of secondary particles and LET spectra in optimizing RBE for superior clinical outcomes.

Our research group is at the forefront of advancing proton therapy, investigating novel approaches in radiation dosimetry and biology. We specialize in proton minibeam therapy, a variant of spatially fractionated therapy, aiming to mitigate normal tissue damage while maintaining tumor target dose efficacy. Our research involves implementing proton minibeams at DCPT to assess early and late biological effects of this technique to ensure its clinical viability.

We are also delving into the role of secondary particles generated by nuclear reactions in proton therapy, scrutinizing their impact on the relative biological effectiveness (RBE). In one project we investigate the interplay between secondary neutrons and boron capture reactions, our goal is to enhance RBE and refine therapeutic outcomes. Our investigations extend to the high-LET radiation damage at the distal end of proton therapy treatments, challenging the conventional RBE clinical protocols and exploring more accurate predictors for toxicities.

With the aim of translating our findings into clinical practice, our research endeavors to offer a more nuanced understanding of RBE, beyond traditional dose metrics, considering factors like 'dirty dose' and alternative radiation quality quantifiers such as Qeff. Our primary collaborators are the Medical Radiation Physics at Stockholm University, Raysearch Laboratories AB, and Institute of Nuclear Research, IFJ-PAN in Kraków, Poland.