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Particle Therapy Cancer Research Institute
Website: www.ptcri.ox.ac.uk Phone: 01865 273312 Email: [email protected] particle therapy cancer research institute particle therapy cancer research institute
Co-Directors: Professor Ken Peach - Director of the John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science, a joint venture between the University of Oxford and Royal Holloway University of London. Prof Peach is a particle physicist by training, having spent most of his career doing experiments at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Professor Bleddyn Jones - Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology & Biology and the Churchill Hospital, Oxford. Prof Jones is an experienced cancer specialist with previous medical and academic appointments at University Hospital Birmingham and the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology and Hammersmith Hospital.
introduction and overview About one third of people will get cancer at some point during their lifetimes, affecting both those with the condition as well as their friends and relatives. While some cancers are associated with specific risks, many are not, and can strike anyone at any time. Since most forms of cancer (there are about 200 different types) increase with age, prevalence is expected to increase. Despite improvements, however, many current treatments for cancer have potentially harmful side effects, leading to short- and long-term reductions in quality of life. Destroying cancer non-invasively using protons or charged light ions such as carbon (charged particle therapy or CPT) offers advantages over conventional radiotherapy using x-rays, since a far lower radiation dose is delivered to healthy tissues. Particle therapy can also be an alternative to radical cancer surgery. The Particle Therapy Cancer Research Institute (PTCRi) studies the clinical effectiveness of charged particle therapy to treat cancer, promoting its use in the UK and elsewhere on the basis of robust clinical evidence and analysis.
structure of the institute The PTCRi was established in January 2009 with funding from the James Martin 21st Century School. It is led by two scientists, a physicist and an oncologist, who have joined forces to build a multidisciplinary team in Oxford of oncologists, radiation biologists, medical statisticians, computer scientists, and medical and accelerator physicists who will be able to examine critically the present and increasing new evidence and develop the case for investing in UK charged particle therapy (CPT) centres. particle therapy cancer research institute particle therapy cancer research institute
about charged particle therapy Radiotherapy succesfully treats about 40% of cancers, but it can be an aggressive treatment limited in applications, for example if the cancer is near a vital organ (such as spinal cord or brain), and with a high risk of mild to severe side effects from tissue damage caused by x-ray irradiations. In contrast, protons and charged particles, such as carbon ions, deposit energy far more selectively than x-rays due to the “Bragg peak” effect. It is illustrated in the diagram below that for a similar dose on the target area (highlighted in purple), the dose to a wide area of healthy tissue is much less with protons. In particular, there is no dose to tissues behind the cancer.
X-Rays Protons/Ions
These peaks of radiation can be used to: • match the cancer position very precisely using modern imaging techniques, such as CT and MR scans; • produce a marked reduction in radiation dose to collateral normal tissues, much like the use of high precision bombing; • increase cancer doses even in clinically awkward situations, e.g. if a cancer is close to the brain, spinal cord, kidney, bowel etc; • produce good quality of life in cured cancer patients, continued vital organ function and a reduction in cancer formation due to radiation exposure. Charged Particle Therapy is particularly appropriate for some rare but distressing forms of childhood cancer, where alternatives (surgery, chemotherapy and conventional radiotherapy) can lead to significant impairment in later life. particle therapy cancer research institute particle therapy cancer research institute
institute objectives Despite clear motivation for exploiting the benefits of charged particle therapy (CPT) over x-ray radiotherapy, there are few comprehensive reports of CPT efficacy and side effects and no formal clinical trials have been performed. Consequently, it is difficult to establish an economic case for CPT in the NHS when facilities cost £25M-£100M. The key objectives of the Particle Therapy for Cancer Research Institute are to: • develop a worldwide database of CPT case histories in order to analyse and identify critical factors for success; • understand the critical factors determining the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of radiation therapies; • assist scientists in Oxford and elsewhere in efforts to design more effective particle accelerators for clinical use; • develop a national education programme to disseminate information to doctors, administrators, research councils, charities and the NHS about the benefits of CPT .
about the 21st century school The James Martin 21st Century School was established in 2005 at the University of Oxford to foster innovative thinking, deep scholarship and collaborative activity to address the most pressing risks and to harvest new opportunities of the 21st Century. The School’s 15 Institutes are home to interdisciplinary research teams from across the University working on a wide range of topics of global significance in the fields of health, climate change, and other frontiers of science and society. By stimulating cutting-edge research and intellectual exchange and public debate, the School aims to enhance the management of systemic risks and to leverage the opportunities arising from technological and social innovations. The School’s Director is Dr Ian Goldin. Website: www.21school.ox.ac.uk Email: [email protected]