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SUMMARY:Use of computational techniques from particle physics to improve r
 adiotherapy treatment of cancer - Karl Harrison (Cambridge)
DTSTART:20140211T150000Z
DTEND:20140211T160000Z
UID:TALK50110@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Susan Haines
DESCRIPTION:Radiotherapy treatment of cancer aims to deliver a lethal dose
  of X-rays to tumour cells\, while limiting the dose to surrounding health
 y tissue.  A patient's treatment is planned taking into account organ posi
 tions\, estimated from a Computed Tomography (CT) scan\, then the prescrib
 ed dose is administered in between thirty and forty fractions\, over a per
 iod of about fifty days.  Modern treatment machines allow sophisticated sh
 aping of X-ray beams (intensity-modulated radiotherapy)\, and can perform 
 low-resolution CT scans to help ensure that tumours are precisely targeted
  (image-guided radiotherapy).  A remaining problem is that healthy organs 
 can be at different positions relative to a tumour at each treatment sessi
 on\, both because weight loss may change a patient's shape\, and because m
 any body structures are deformable.  This means that the dose received by 
 a volume element (voxel) can be different from the planned dose.  Drawing 
 on expertise from oncology\, medical physics\, engineering and particle ph
 ysics\, the Cambridge-based VoxTox project aims to track actual voxel dose
 s\, and to correlate with short- and long-term side effects (toxicity).  R
 esults can lead to strategies for modifying dose plans over a course of tr
 eatment\, bringing clinical benefits in terms of improved outcomes and red
 uced collateral damage.\n\nThis seminar considers radiotherapy treatment f
 rom a particle-physics perspective\, and summarises the current status of 
 the VoxTox project.
LOCATION:Rutherford Seminar Room B
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