CNAO, National Center of Oncologic Adrotherapy, together with the INFN, National Institute of Nuclear Physics, the University of Pisa, the Sapienza University of Rome and the Historical Museum of Physics and the "Enrico Fermi" Center for Studies and Research, has started experimentation of an imaging system able to 'photograph' the beams of protons and carbon ions used to hit tumors with hadron therapy and to make therapies more precise It is the first bimodal system in the world (composed of a PET scanner and a charged particle tracer) capable of monitoring in real time the beams of carbon ions and protons used in oncological adrotherapy to target tumors resistant to radiotherapy X-rays and inoperable.
It is called INSIDE, Innovative Solution for Dosimetry in Hadrontherapy, and the CNAO Foundation (National Center of Oncological Adrotherapy of Pavia) together with the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), and the Department of physics of the University of Pisa and Sapienza University of Rome, has started testing on patients, with the aim of verifying even more effectively the effects of hadrotherapy on tumor tissues and making treatment even more precise. For this purpose it started a a clinical study that involves 40 CNAO patients undergoing hadrontherapy for the treatment of meningiomas and tumors of the head and neck district (adenoid-cystic carcinoma, cord base chordoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma). CNAO is the only Italian center and one of only 6 in the world capable of delivering hadron therapy with protons and carbon ions, an advanced form of radiotherapy capable of targeting inoperable and resistant radiotherapy tumors. Observing radiation in "real time" In order to target tumor tissues, oncologic adrotherapy uses beams of protons or carbon ions which, compared to the X-rays used in traditional radiotherapy, have the ability to release their energy only near the tumor mass and minimize the impact on surrounding healthy tissues and the resulting side effects. INSIDE is an instrument positioned near the bed where the patient receives treatment with hadrotherapy and consists of two detectors (a bi-modal imaging system, with a scanner for PET-Positron Emission Tomography and a charged particle tracer) able to measure the secondary particles produced during the treatment uutlining with a very short time lag where the energy is being released and if the tumor volume, following treatment, changes. INSIDE: physics and medicine to improve cancer treatment. The experimentation on patients and the start of the clinical study represent the second phase of the INSIDE project, funded by the CNAO Foundation and carried out by the Foundation together with the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (with the sections of Turin, Milan, Pisa, Rome1 and the Frascati National Laboratories), at the Physics Department "Enrico Fermi" of the University of Pisa, and Sapienza University of Rome. In this phase the project takes place in one of the three CNAO treatment rooms where the two detectors that make up the INSIDE system have been installed on a structure next to the bed on which the patient receives treatment with hadrontherapy. The first phase of the INSIDE project, which focused instead on the creation of the two detectors, was carried out between 2013 and 2016, thanks to a 1 million euro PRIN (Project of Relevant National Interest) from the Ministry of the University and Research, from the University of Pisa, as coordinator, in collaboration with the Universities of Turin, La Sapienza University of Rome ", the Polytechnic of Bari, the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, the Historical Museum of Physics and the Study Center and "Enrico Fermi" Research and the National Center for Oncologic Hadrontherapy (CNAO). The INSIDE clinical trial is supported not only by the CNAO but also by the Tuscany region through the POR FSE 2014 -2020 PETRA - INFN-RT2 172800 project. The clinical study involves 40 patients. A clinical observational study has been initiated which consists of testing INSIDE on 40 CNAO patients who undergo proton adrotherapy, for the treatment of meningiomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the nasopharynx, and with carbon ions for the treatment of adenoid-cystic carcinomas and cordoma of the base of the skull. The treatment plan for these diseases includes 15 to 35 sessions of hadrotherapy, one per day. The clinical study includes 3/4 measurements at the beginning through INSIDE, during the first week of treatment, and then 1 measurement per week. Based on the INSIDE findings and the results of any revaluation TACs, it is possible to observe the morphological changes undergone by the tumor mass during therapy and, if necessary, to review and update the treatment plan to make it even more precise.
Fondazione CNAO SEC S.p.A. - press office - +39 02 624999.1 Laura Arghittu - cell. +39 335 485106 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Daniele Murgia– cell. +39 338 4330031 – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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