Radiation therapy stands as a vital treatment for cancer, but it often poses significant challenges due to its lengthy duration, allowing healthy cells to suffer collateral damage. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have made significant strides toward addressing this issue, presenting a promising solution to complete cancer treatment in seconds rather than weeks.

Killing individual cancer cells is relatively straightforward, achievable through radiation or medication. However, the real challenge arises when tumors hide amongst healthy cells, increasing the likelihood of damage to those healthy cells. Traditional radiation therapy, spanning several weeks, exacerbates the potential harm to healthy tissue. Enter FLASH radiotherapy, an emerging treatment approach that delivers in just one second the same radiation dose typically administered over several weeks. While its impact on cancer cells aligns with conventional radiation therapy, FLASH significantly reduces collateral damage to healthy tissue.

In their latest research, University of Pennsylvania scientists discovered a way to make FLASH radiotherapy even more effective by altering the type of fundamental particles used. Typically, electrons are employed in this technique, but they lack the ability to penetrate deep within the body, limiting their usefulness to shallower cancer types like skin cancer.

The breakthrough involved utilizing protons, which can penetrate deeper into the body, making them suitable for a broader spectrum of tumor types. In an experimental trial on mice with pancreatic flank tumors, proton FLASH therapy effectively hindered cancer growth while minimizing the loss of healthy cells. Notably, this approach avoided causing intestinal fibrosis, a common side effect of traditional radiation therapy.

James M. Metz, co-senior author of the study, emphasized the significance of these findings, highlighting that this is the first instance of protons, rather than electrons, being used to generate FLASH doses with a clinically adaptable accelerator.

The next steps involve translating this cutting-edge treatment into clinical trials and devising a system for delivering proton radiation to humans. FLASH radiotherapy represents a promising avenue for expediting and improving cancer treatment outcomes.

By Impact Lab