Advanced imaging and hypofractionation, according to Michael Dattoli, are critical in the delivery of radiation treatment. Advanced procedures include intensity-modulated radiation, image-guided therapy, proton beam therapy, and stereotactic body radiotherapy. These methods allow for a larger dose to be delivered to the target while sparing healthy tissue. However, due to ambiguities in imaging, treatment planning, and tumor size, they can be complex.
The number of radiation treatments required is reduced when hypofractionated radiotherapy is used. This type of treatment may improve patients' quality of life because they receive less radiation. Furthermore, patients may require fewer sessions, resulting in fewer hospital visits and less unpleasant side effects. Furthermore, sophisticated imaging and hypofractionation limit the quantity of radiation that reaches healthy tissues, making therapy easier.
Michael Dattoli believes the BELLA team is working on a new targeting technique that will enable lasers to be focused at higher intensities and generate higher-energy protons. Only powerful enough beams are generated by the existing focusing method to provide FLASH radiotherapy to thin sheets. Higher-energy ion beams will penetrate live tissue further. The novel method, according to co-author Jian-Hua Mao, could be employed in radiotherapy in the future.
Despite the limits of traditional radiation, technological advancements have increased its efficacy. Hypofractionated radiation allows doctors to give patients more doses in less time. In addition to hypofractionation, doctors can perform one to five treatments with stereotactic body radiation. This method has also paved the path for more effective and safer therapies. Because of the numerous advantages it provides, this strategy is gaining popularity.
According to recent studies, the usage of sophisticated radiation methods for patients with head and neck cancer has increased over time. According to data from the National Cancer Database, more people are undergoing sophisticated radiation therapy for this condition. Advanced radiation therapy has been administered in 78 percent of relevant cases since 2004. Disparities do persist, however, between racial, socioeconomic, and geographic groupings. Patients from minority and low-income backgrounds are less likely to undergo sophisticated radiation methods, according to the study.
Michael Dattoli feels that the use of imaging biomarkers allows clinicians to target areas at higher risk of radio-resistance and allow for biologically focused dose escalation. Advanced imaging is critical to improve radiotherapy and prevent long-term toxicities via the use of imaging during radiation therapy, incorporating artificial intelligence. This technology will be the foundation of radiation therapy in the future. It's worth noting that sophisticated imaging is just one of several technologies available in the industry.
