Advanced tracking and optimization technology for brachytherapy applications

癌症是加拿大的主要死因。50%的加拿大人在一生中会患上癌症，25%的人会死于癌症。在与癌症的斗争中，48%至52%的癌症患者将接受放射治疗作为治疗方式，单独或联合收割机与手术和化疗相结合。在过去的几十年里，技术发展的快速步伐使放射治疗能够在各种癌症部位的局部控制方面取得重大进展。在这项提案中，我们将与主要的放射治疗设备制造商之一Elekta合作，建立下一代近距离放射治疗（放射治疗的一种形式）系统。特别是，我们寻求开发和验证新的最先进的辐射输送设备和系统，这将使新的，更有效的治疗方法用于癌症治疗。特别是，拟议的努力的很大一部分致力于整合仪器的GPS跟踪能力，以更快，更安全，更精确地提供癌症治疗。我们希望在这项提案中探索的方法和开发的技术将用于加拿大和世界各地的癌症诊所，直接有助于对抗癌症，并最终促进加拿大人口的福祉。

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. 50% of Canadians will develop cancer during their lifetime and 25% will die from it. In the fight against cancer, between 48 and 52% of cancer patients will receive radiation therapy as a treatment modality, either alone or combine with surgery and chemotherapy. Over the last decades, the rapid pace of technological development has enabled radiation therapy to accomplish significant advances in the local control of various cancer sites. In this proposal, we will be working together with one of the major radiation therapy equipment manufacturers, Elekta, to build the next generation of brachytherapy (a form of radiation therapy) systems. In particular, we seek to develop and validate novel state-of-the-art radiation delivery devices and systems that will enable new, more efficient therapeutical approaches for cancer treatment using. In particular, a large fraction of the proposed effort is dedicated to the integration of GPS-like tracking capability of instruments for faster, safer and more precise cancer treatment delivery. We expect the approaches explored and the technology developed during this proposal to be used in cancer clinics across Canada and worldwide, contributing directly to the fight against cancer and ultimately to the well-being of the Canadian population.