Compact FLASH and proton systems at the price of a conventional linac
Ultra-fast FLASH radiotherapy and proton beams may spare healthy tissue dramatically, but the machines cost tens of millions. Engineer versions that any hospital can afford.
FLASH radiotherapy (dose delivered in under a second) reduces normal tissue toxicity in animal models with preserved tumour control and has entered early human trials; proton therapy spares normal tissue by physics but costs an order of magnitude more than photon systems. Compact accelerator concepts (very-high-energy electrons, laser-driven and superconducting compact proton sources) could lower cost. The proposal is a focused engineering programme, with milestone funding, to deliver a compact system capable of FLASH-rate delivery at a capital cost comparable to a conventional linac, paired with the clinical trials needed to establish the FLASH effect in humans.
- Surgery and radiotherapy cure most, get least · Surgery and radiotherapy cure more people than drugs do, but attract a fraction of the research investment.
- Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued · Trials measure how long people live, not how they live. Side-effects are under-reported and under-treated.
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not linked directly; found by shared links- TechnologyProton arc therapy
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- IdeaA coordinated FLASH radiotherapy evidence programme with shared dose-rate standards
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