Scientists and doctors are exploring new ways to treat cancer more effectively. Recent tests at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have shown promising results using a small array of magnets, developed as part of the Lab’s nuclear physics research, for future cancer treatments.
The tests demonstrated that an arc of precisely designed permanent magnets can transport beams of cancer-killing protons across a wide range of energies, from 50 to 250 million electron volts (MeV). "That’s the highest energy ever for this sort of beamline," said Stephen Brooks, a physicist at Brookhaven Lab and designer of the fixed-field magnets. This energy range could lead to more effective cancer treatment.
The project is seen as a step toward building an accelerator with this technology, allowing physicians to quickly switch among beam energies to deliver fast proton doses throughout a tumor's depth. "It’s really like a flash, essentially an ultra-high dose-rate beam," said Samuel Ryu, chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Stony Brook Medicine. According to Ryu, when radiation is delivered in very high doses quickly—known as FLASH treatment—adjacent normal tissues seem better preserved.
Abhay Deshpande, Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear and Particle Physics at Brookhaven Lab and professor at Stony Brook University, stated: "This work highlights important advances in accelerator science and technology gained through years of building accelerators for fundamental physics research — and how that research...can directly benefit society."
The team aims to build a full-scale facility but acknowledges many steps remain before testing variable-energy FLASH proton treatment's potential. "An immediate goal is to do some cell culture research," said Ryu. "As a researcher and clinical investigator and a physician, I want to move this technology into patient care."
Funding for this project came from Brookhaven Lab’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program and seed funding from Stony Brook University.
Read the full story at the Brookhaven National Laboratory website.