Energy Modulated Arc Therapy: protecting normal tissues by increasing the sharpness and reducing the size of radiation therapy beams
- Technology Benefits
- Able to incorporate active modulation of radiationspectra during treatmentReduces integral dose to normal tissueProduces smaller treatment fields ideal for highprecision radiation therapyGenerates sharp dose gradients to spare nearbysensitive tissuesUse radiation to target the environment in and aroundthe tumorApplications in radiation therapy forcancer treatment
- Detailed Technology Description
- EnergyModulated Radiation Therapy (EMRT) and Energy Modulated Arc Therapy (EMAT),which includes new radiation therapy technologies capable of varying the energyof the therapeutic x-rays during treatment.
- *Abstract
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Unique to EMAT is utilization of an unconventional lower-energyradiation source alongside a conventional radiotherapy device. The technologyis leveraging the radiation physics of the lower energy spectrum and will:reduce the integral dose to normal tissue, produce smaller treatment fields, providecontrol of beam penetration, and generate sharp dose gradients. Researchershave identified how to retrofit and/or modify a conventional radiotherapydevice to provide EMAT, in a cost-efficient manner.
- *Background
- Radiation therapy is an established treatmenttechnique that uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer. Just like any cancertreatment, radiation treatment aims to maximize damage to the tumor whileminimizing side-effects. To do this, the radiation is focused on the tumor,blocking nearby normal tissues, and is shot from many angles. Sophisticatedcomputer algorithms are used to design a treatment delivery scheme thatmaximizes the amount of radiation to the tumor while sparing surroundingtissues. State-of-the-art radiotherapy techniques are getting increasinglycomplex, treating tumors to higher-and-higher doses while their targets aregetting are smaller-and-smaller and the tumors are closer-and-closer toradiation sensitive organs. To meet these demands, future radiation devicesneed to create smaller and more intense radiation fields. However, currenttreatment devices have reached a threshold, where treatment fields cannot goany smaller. Investigators at University of New Mexico are showing how to pushthrough these barriers using Energy Modulated Arc Therapy (EMAT). EMAT blendsdifferent types of radiation that have different beam width and penetrationcapabilities. With these added capabilities, EMAT will change the entire scopeof what is treated. By size comparison: once radiation was ideal for treatingtumors the size of the walnut, now the current state-of-the-art shoots tumorsthe size of a peanut. Now with EMAT, we can consider targets smaller than a grainof rice. Additionally, tumors that abut extremely sensitive structures can betreated without using the costliest type of radiation therapy, protons therapy.EMAT is the evolution in radiotherapy. Presently, radiotherapy focuses on attackingthe bulk of the tumor. Now with the capabilities of EMAT, radiotherapy can targetthe microenvironment in and around the tumor, i.e. vasculature, lymphatics, andnerves, while sparing nearby tissues.
- *Inquiry
- STC has filed intellectual property on this exciting new technology and is currently exploring commercialization options. If you are interested in information about this or other technologies, please contact Arlene Mirabal at amirabal@stc.unm.edu or 505-272-7886.
- Country/Region
- USA
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