Proton radiotherapy challenges for physicists

Proton radiotherapy (irradiation with beams of accelerated protons) is one of the most efficient methods to cure many types of cancer. Inherently high precision of the method and consequently the highest currently available protection of surrounding healthy tissues is the most significant single reason it is applied in practice. That advantage results from some excellent capabilities to control the dose deposited in the to-be-irradiated tissue. Proton velocity decreases and linear energy transfer coefficient increases along the path of a proton traversing matter, which means that proton energy is absorbed mainly close to the end of the path.

Polish patients suffering eyeball melanoma have been regularly treated with protons in the PAN Institute of Nuclear Physics (IFJ PAN) in Cracow. The AIC-144 cyclotron used till December 2015 was constructed 20 years ago in IFJ PAN and delivered beams of protons of energy 60 MeV. The Bronowice Cyclotron Centre commissioned in October 2015 is equipped with the C-235 Proteus cyclotron and delivers beams of protons of energy up to 230 MeV. The beam is exited to two scanning gantries. The first eyeball cancer patients were irradiated in February 2016. Clinical applications of both gantries are expected to commence at the break of 2016 Q2 and Q3.

Professor Ludwik Dobrzyński

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