The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $613,827 five-year Project Grant under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) to Mayo Clinic Arizona to develop a novel tool for evaluating the impact of radiation therapy using spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT). The key objectives are to:
Develop a Dose-LET Volume Histogram (DLVH) to visualize the spatial distribution of radiation dose and linear energy transfer (LET) to assess the risk of severe adverse events (AEs) like brain necrosis and osteoradionecrosis.
Correlate AEs with DLVH metrics to establish dose-LET volume constraints (DLVCs) at the organ level, and use these to develop DLVH-based SSPT treatment planning to minimize AE incidence.
Employ a novel "dosimetric seed spot analysis" method to isolate the dose-LET effects upon AE initiation at the voxel level.
This research will fill a critical technology gap in SSPT planning and optimization, which currently relies only on physical radiation dose without accounting for LET effects. The project will be conducted by experts from Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and the University of Georgia.