Imaging of prompt emissions during proton cancer therapy for geometric and dosimetric verification

质子束疗法是一种放射疗法，它使用精确的高能粒子束来摧毁癌细胞。这种治疗方法特别适用于复杂的儿童癌症，提高了成功率，减少了副作用，如耳聋、智商下降和继发性癌症。它也可以用于治疗脑癌和头颈癌。至关重要的是，要明确了解所需的辐射量以及在治疗期间向患者提供的辐射量。该提案“在质子癌治疗期间用于几何和剂量学验证的即时伽马辐射成像”，旨在开发一种优化的探测器和方法，以允许实时验证辐射输送。这项任务是放射治疗过程的重要组成部分，然而，对于质子来说，这比高能光子（在现有设施中使用）更具挑战性。该提案汇集了来自利物浦大学的辐射传感器专家，来自伦敦大学学院（UCL）和伦敦大学学院医院（UCLH）的成像专家以及来自克拉特布里奇癌症中心的放射治疗专家。UCLH将是英国新建的两个质子治疗中心之一的所在地，克拉特布里奇拥有英国唯一现有的质子治疗设施。

Proton Beam Therapy is a type of radiotherapy, which uses a precision high-energy beam of particles to destroy cancer cells. The treatment is particularly suitable for complex childhood cancers, increasing success rates and reducing side- effects, such as deafness, loss of IQ and secondary cancers. It can also used to treat brain cancers and head and neck cancers. It is crucial that there is clear knowledge of the quantity of radiation required and also delivered to a patient during treatment. This proposal "Imaging of prompt gamma emissions during proton cancer therapy for geometric and dosimetric verification", aims to develop an optimised detector and methodology to allow real time verification of radiation delivery.This task is an essential part of the radiotherapy process, however this is significantly more challenging for protons than for high energy photons (which are utilised in existing facilities). The proposal brings together experts in radiation sensors from the University of Liverpool, imaging experts from University College London (UCL) and University College London Hospital (UCLH) and Radiation therapy professionals from the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. UCLH will be the home of one of the two new proton therapy centres to be built in England, Clatterbridge houses the only existing proton therapy facility in theUK.