Proton CT a potentially powerful weapon in the war on cancer
British, Swedish and South African scientists say they have produced proton computed tomography (pCT) images of sufficient clinical quality that their achievement “creates a new vision for cancer treatment” and “opens up a totally new medical imaging field,” according to the newsroom at the University of Lincoln in the U.K.
Comparing their pCT images with those from conventional CT, the international team found pCT reduced uncertainty in tumor characterization to less than 1 percent vs. 3 to 5 percent.
“To produce these proton CT images, we built a unique medical imaging platform which uses the same high energy particles that are used to destroy a tumor during proton therapy treatment,” explains Nigel Allinson, MBE, distinguished professor of image engineering at Lincoln. “[P]rotons cause less damage to healthy tissue in front of the tumor and no damage at all to healthy tissue lying behind, which greatly reduces the side effects of radiation therapy.”
Allinson adds that the images the team created “are in fact of a humble lamb chop, but they highlight the fantastic potential for using proton CT images to aid cancer treatment in the very near future—as part as the planning process, as well as during and after treatments.”
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Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.