Novel Delivery System for High Dose Rate Intensity Modulated Brachytherapy with Yb-169 as a Radiation Source

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Radiotherapy is an effective and safe treatment for cancer. Approximately 50% of cancer**patients benefit from this treatment, that is, close to 100,000 Canadians with cancer each**year. Brachytherapy, is a form of radiotherapy where radioactive sources are placed inside or**near the tumours using thin, hollow tubes (catheters) implanted for a short period of time,**giving a high radiation dose to the tumour while maintaining a low dose to surrounding healthy tissues. However, dose distribution in conventional brachytherapy is identical in all directions resulting in dose spillage to radiation sensitive**healthy tissues. This proposal aims to develop a novel radiation delivery system that will**manipulate the radiation dose to conform to the shape of a tumour by incorporating radiation**shields inside the implanted hollow tubes, i.e. the delivery system will modulate the intensity**of the emitted radiation from the brachytherapy source. The shields can rotate during the**treatment, direct the radiation towards the tumour and away from healthy tissues. Developing and making intensity**modulated brachytherapy clinically available, will significantly improve the potential of**brachytherapy with reduced toxicity will increase the cure rates and improve the quality of life**for Canadians with prostate, breast, cervical, uterine, vaginal, vulvar, head & neck and**oesophageal cancers. In addition, this proposal will offer undergraduate and graduate student**to work in a multidisciplinary environment with radiation oncology, radiation physics, biology,**computing and engineering.