FLASH radiotherapy
Delivering an entire dose in under a second, which in animals spares healthy tissue while still killing the tumour.
Ultra-high dose rates (>40 Gy/s) reduce normal-tissue toxicity in preclinical models. First-in-human trials (FAST-01/02 with protons, Varian; electron trials in Lausanne) show feasibility. Mechanism (oxygen depletion, radical recombination) is debated and the clinical effect unproven.
How it works
Dose delivered in milliseconds rather than minutes; differential normal-tissue sparing.
- Potential to widen therapeutic window dramatically
- Unproven in humans
- Hardware constraints for deep tumours
Latest papers
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