Quantitative SPECT for dosimetry of 131I molecular radiotherapy

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Radiotherapy plays an essential role in cancer treatment. There are various types of therapy that are used to target differing organs and cancers. One such type is Molecular radiotherapy (MRT). In this treatment, patients are administered with a radioactive solution, which has been specifically chosen to travel to the cancerous tissue. The radioactive solution emits radiation, which damages the cancerous cells in the tissue, with little damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. The most common use of MRT is for treatment of thyroid cancer and radioimmunotherapy, however it is not possible to provide personalised treatment plans to the level of traditional radiotherapy techniques. It is also not possible to measure the radiation dose delivered to the patient during the treatment, which means that knowledge of the impact of the treatment is limited.This research aims to develop an imaging system that can be used to assess the radiation dose delivered to the patient. It is based on traditional radiation imaging techniques used in hospitals but is tailored specifically for molecular radiotherapy of the thyroid. The research will lead to personalised treatment planning, which will reduce treatment costs and potentially increase rates of successful cancer treatment. Experts from the University of Liverpool and leading clinicians at the Royal Marsden and Royal Liverpool University Hospitals will conduct the research.