MSc thesis project Proof-of-Principle Phantom Study of Gated FLASH Proton Therapy for Moving Tumors

The goal of this project is to design (and conduct) a phantom study to demonstrate the feasibility of accurately delivering gated ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) proton therapy to moving tumors.

Background:

• FLASH proton therapy delivers ultra-high dose rates (>40 Gy/s) and has been shown to reduce damage to healthy tissue, a phenomenon known as the FLASH effect.
• Ultra-fast irradiation could be especially advantageous for treating tumors affected by motion, such as lung tumors.
• Gated delivery ensures that the proton beam is only active when the tumor is in the correct position, improving treatment precision.

Research goal:

• The feasibility of UHDR gated proton therapy for treating moving tumors will be investigated, with a focus on assessing the accuracy achievable, quantifying residual tumor motion, and conducting a comprehensive end-to-end characterization of this procedure.
• This project aims to combine these concepts in a controlled phantom study to provide a proof-of-principle for gated UHDR proton therapy.

Student Tasks:

• Design and set up a phantom experiment simulating a moving tumor.
• Optimize gating strategies for UHDR proton therapy.
• Acquire and analyze dosimetric data to evaluate treatment accuracy.
• Contribute to data interpretation and potential manuscript preparation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Gain experience in advanced proton therapy techniques and motion management.
• Learn experimental design, data acquisition, and analysis in medical physics.
• Work closely within a multidisciplinary team across hospitals and universities.

The project is part of a close collaboration between LUMC, ErasmusMC, HollandPTC and TU Delft (FLASH Beyond Doubt project) and funded by Varian Medical Systems (a Siemens Healthineers Company). The work will mainly be carried out in HollandPTC.

Student profile: MSc BME (Medical Physics), Applied Physics or related

Interested? Please contact Simone Visser (s.n.visser@lumc.nl)