Flash Radiotherapy
FLASH is defined as radiotherapy that is delivered with average dose rates exceeding 40 Gy/s, which is two orders of magnitude higher than our current standard dose delivery rate of 0.1 Gy/s. Research in FLASH has been fuelled by outcomes in animal experiments indicating that tumour control probability is maintained while reducing normal tissue toxicity when dose is delivered over milliseconds. This highlights the potential of FLASH to shift the therapeutic window. Our group’s focus is rapid and reversible machine modification allowing for electron FLASH (eFLASH) radiobiology experiments with small animals and 3D cell spheroids. The radiobiology experiments are performed by our research collaborators from the BC Cancer Research Centre – The Minchinton Lab.
Experiments are performed inside the head of a linac (linear accelerator). An Arduino circuit is seen in the top left corner – it’s purpose is to regulate dose delivery through counting pulses.
During eFLASH dose delivery a blue flash seen -- a manifestation of the Cherenkov Effect
Team Members and Collaborators
Team members: Alanah Bergman, Cheryl Duzenli, Tania Karan, Claudia Mendez, Peter Petric, John Paul Sweeney, Don Ta
Collaborators: Jennifer Baker, Alastair Kyle, Andrew Minchinton (https://www.bccrc.ca/dept/io/labs/minchinton-lab)
Related Paper, Presentations and Posters
1. Kyle A, Banath J, Wang T, Baker J, Liu A, Pflueger S, Karan T, Mendez C, Bergman A, Bradford G, Petric P, Duzenli C & Minchinton A. “Radiolytic oxygen depletion in 3D spheroids at conventional vs FLASH dose rates.” Abstract submitted for Annual Radiation Research Meeting
2. T Karan, C Mendez, MP Petric, JP Sweeney, D Ta, P Petric, A Kyle, J Baker, A Minchinton, C Duzenli. “Dosimetric monitoring for electron FLASH (eFLASH) on a clinical linear accelerator adapted for radiobiology research.” Manuscript submitted for publication
3. Szpala, S., Huang, V., Zhao, Y., Kyle, A., Minchinton, A., Karan, T. and Kohli, K. (2021), Dosimetry with a clinical linac adapted to FLASH electron beams. J Appl Clin Med Phys, 22: 50-59. https://doi.org/10.1002/acm2.13270
4. C Duzenli, P Petric, AM Bergman, T Karan, C Mendez. “Investigation of the HyperscintTM Plastic Scintillation Dosimetry System Performance in a 15 MeV electron beam at FLASH dose rates.” Oral Presentation at COMP ASM 2021
5. T Karan, C Mendez, MP Petric, JP Sweeney, D Ta, C Duzenli. “eFLASH dosimetry on a conventional linac using pulse-gated delivery.” ePoster to be presented at AAPM 2021 Annual general meeting
6. Tania Karan. “FLASH Experiments in Canada.” Symposium: FLASH Therapy – Current Status and the Way to the Clinic. Oral Presentation at AAPM Conference 2020
7. C Mendez, T Karan, M Petric, A Bergman, D Ta, J Sweeney, A Kyle, J Baker, C Duzenli, A Minchinton. “Implementation and Dosimetry of EFLASH Radiotherapy”. Oral Presentation at AAPM Conference 2020