Iba Proton Pencil Beam Scanning: an Innovative Solution for Cancer Treatment

Particles are used in medical application for cancer treatment. Radiotherapy aims to deliver a high dose in a well-defined target volume while sparing the healthy surrounding tissues. Compared to the conventional radiotherapy (X-ray), protons show superior clinical performances thanks to their inherent depth dose characteristic (Bragg peak). In proton therapy, several techniques can be used to deliver the dose into the target volume. The most auspicious method, the one that allows the best conformation with the tumor, is called “Pencil Beam Scanning”. This method consists in directing lots of small pencil beam into the target in order to cover the 3D volume. IBA is developing an innovative pencil beam scanning method. The beam position is adjusted in X & Y by 2 scanning magnets while the depth depends on the beam energy. The 3D volume is divided in several slices parallel to the body surface. The dose in each slice is delivered by controlling simultaneously the beam intensity and the speed of the beam spot in the X & Y direction. The major advantage of the pencil beam scanning developed by IBA will be the pliancy in dose distribution shapes in an optimum way in term of minimizing the total treatment time.