Medical Physics Seminar – Monday, March 20, 2023
The unique aspects of FLASH RT and the path towards clinical implementation
Emil Schueler, Ph.D, DABR
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Physics, Division of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and radiation therapy (RT) contributes to cancer cure for more patients than any single treatment modality. Yet, a key barrier undermining the potential for cure is short-term and long-term toxicity to normal tissues. FLASH RT (dose rates > 40 Gy/s) has recently been shown to have increased normal tissue sparing compared to the same dose delivered with conventionally used dose rates (~0.1 Gy/s), without reducing the tumor cure probability. In this presentation we will talk about the current status of the field and what we need to do in order to bring this novel modality towards clinical implementation.