Imaging Technology News: First FLASH proton therapy trial completed in humans

The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center/UC Health Proton Therapy Center recently completed enrollment in the first human trial of FLASH therapy, called FAST-01, in October.

John C. Breneman, MD, professor emeritus in the Department of Radiation Oncology in the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine, medical director of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center/UC Health Proton Therapy Center and a University of Cincinnati Cancer Center member, recently spoke with Imaging Technology News (ITN) about FLASH therapy and the FAST-01 trial.

 "The way that FLASH radiotherapy differs from conventional radiotherapy isn’t necessarily that it’s a different kind of radiation, it’s different because of how quickly it’s given," Breneman told ITN. "Most radiation therapy is given in treatments that may last two, three, four, five minutes. FLASH radiotherapy gives actually somewhat larger doses than what we conventionally use in day to day treatments and delivers them in just a fraction of a second, and it’s that very fast delivery of the radiation dose that seems to have the effect of being able to spare the normal tissue while still being able to kill and treat tumor tissue."

The FAST-01 trial enrolled 10 patients with bone metastases in their arms and legs, and Breneman and his team are currently conducting follow-up studies to examine potential side effects and the treatment's effectiveness to treat the cancer.

Watch the ITN interview.

Featured photo at top of Cincinnati Children’s/UC Health Proton Therapy Center's proton treatment room courtesy of Cincinnati Children's/UC Health.