Design and performance validation of a novel 3d printed thin-walled and transparent electron beam applicators for intraoperative radiation therapy with beam energy up to 12 MeV.

A high-energy electron accelerator is used in the treatment of patients in the so-called intraoperative electron radiotherapy (IOERT). The work aimed to present the results of the validation of a new design of an electron beam applicator for use in IOERT. A novel solution was described along with the design optimization method based on Monte Carlo simulations.

FLASH radiotherapy: an emerging approach in radiation therapy.

FLASH radiotherapy (RT) is a technique involving the delivery of ultra-high dose rate radiation to the target. FLASH-RT has been shown to reduce radiation-induced toxicity in healthy tissues without compromising the anti-cancer effects of treatment compared to conventional radiation therapy. In the present article, we review the published data on FLASH-RT and discuss the current state of knowledge of this novel approach.

Verification of electron beam parameters in an intraoperative linear accelerator using dosimetric and radiobiological response methods.

Background: The availability of linear accelerators (linac) for research purposes is often limited and therefore alternative radiation sources are needed to conduct radiobiological research. The National Centre for Radiation Research in Poland recently developed an intraoperative mobile linac that enables electron irradiation at energies ranging from 4 to 12 MeV and dose rates of 5 or 10 Gy/min. The present study was conducted to evaluate the electron beam parameters of this intraoperative linac and to verify the set-up to evaluate out-of-field doses in a water phantom, which were determined through dosimetric and biological response measurements.