Recent studies suggest that ultrahigh-dose-rate, “FLASH,” electron radiation therapy (RT) decreases normal tissue damage while maintaining tumor response compared with conventional dose rate RT. An RT apparatus that delivers FLASH proton RT (PRT) using double scattered protons with computed tomography guidance is presented along with the first report of proton FLASH RT-mediated normal tissue radioprotection. Further developments are discussed for preclinical investigation and clinical implementation of proton pencil beam scanned FLASH.  

Short Bio:

Dr. Diffenderfer is Assistant Professor of medical physics in the Department of Radiation Oncology at University of Pennsylvania. He received his PhD in nuclear physics from Florida State University in 2007, completed a residency in medical physics at Penn in 2014, and is ABR certified in Therapeutic Radiological Physics since 2014. His research is focused on proton dosimetry and physics instrumentation with diverse collaborative efforts on experimental radiobiology. He developed the small animal proton irradiation facilities and incorporated FLASH dose rate capabilities in the Penn proton research room for the first in-vivo demonstrations of FLASH tissue sparing effect with proton radiation.

The recording can be found here.