Subsequent projects
Dr. Georgios Dedes
Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
Fakultät für Physik - Experimentalphysik/Medizinische Physik
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schulte
Loma Linda University
School of Medicine
Preclinical implementation of fluence modulated proton CT (FMpCT) for image guided proton therapy
Imaging with X-rays is currently the main imaging modality used in the cancer diagnosis and treatment workflow. This is well suited for treatment planning in the case of X-rays being the therapeutic beam as well. Since the establishment of protons as therapeutic beam it is known that imaging using protons as well would decrease treatment planning uncertainties that stem from converting X-ray images to proton relative stopping power (RSP) maps [1].
Furthermore, in medical imaging with ionizing radiation there is a trade-off between imaging dose and image quality. Images of high quality potentially carry more information about the patient’s medical condition, but come with higher health risks due to the imaging high dose.
This projects aims for exploring advanced concepts of proton computed tomography (pCT) as an extremely low dose and high RSP accuracy imaging modality in use for cancer treatment with protons. During the first funding period the feasibility of the novel method of fluence modulation pCT (FMpCT) for acquiring pCT images with spatially varying image quality was demonstrated [2],[3]. This method allows for pushing the imaging dose limits in healthy tissues even lower, while maintaining high image quality around the tumor site. For this second funding period, FMpCT will be implemented in its full potential in a preclinical context at the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center and will be compared to state of the art X-ray imaging.
The project is shared between the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, the University of Loma Linda in California, the University of California Santa Cruz and the Northwestern Medicine Chicago Proton Center.
References:
[1] Monte Carlo comparison of x-ray and proton CT for range calculations of proton therapy beams.
Arbor N et al., Phys Med Biol. 2015;60(19):7585-99
[2] Application of fluence field modulation to proton computed tomography for proton therapy
imaging. Dedes G et al., Phys Med Biol. 2017;62(15):6026-6043
[3] Experimental fluence-modulated proton computed tomography by pencil beam scanning.
Dedes G et al., Med Phys. 2018;45(7):3287-3296.
Primary project: Assessment of proton imaging as a modality for proton treatment planning and image guided proton therapy