Researcher studies faster, more precise radiation therapy for cancer

A Latvian physicist is investigating how accelerator technology could deliver radiation therapy faster and more precisely to destroy cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy tissue, LSM reports. Kristaps Paļskis, a doctoral student in a joint particle physics programme run by Riga Technical University and the University of Latvia, examined the approach in his doctoral thesis.

The experimental method, known as the FLASH effect, would deliver the full radiation dose in a few hundred milliseconds, rather than over minutes as in conventional therapy. Paļskis said the approach requires precise patient positioning and close monitoring of internal physiological movement to ensure the dose reaches its target accurately.

His work included programming, mathematical simulations and chemical experiments at a cancer research centre in Germany. He worked mainly at CERN, where a group is studying how accelerator technology could be used in cancer treatment, including replacing conventional X-rays with heavier particles such as protons, helium ions and carbon ions. Paļskis focused on the potential use of helium ions.

The results provide a theoretical basis for future innovations in radiation therapy.