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Updated: Dec 20, 2025
08:34
Proton Therapy Delivery and Its Clinical Application in Select Solid Tumor Malignancies
Published on: February 6, 2019
20.9K
MR-guided proton therapy: a review and a preview
Aswin Hoffmann1,2,3, Bradley Oborn4,5, Maryam Moteabbed6
1OncoRay - National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany.
Radiation Oncology (London, England)
|May 31, 2020
Summary
Real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance could significantly improve proton therapy (PT) for moving tumors. Challenges remain, but progress suggests MR-integrated PT prototypes may be available within a decade.
Area of Science:
- Medical Physics
- Radiation Oncology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Proton therapy (PT) accuracy for moving soft-tissue tumors can be enhanced by real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance.
- Integrating MRI and PT offers superior soft-tissue contrast and real-time imaging with PT's conformal dose distribution.
- Hybrid MR-integrated PT (MRiPT) systems face technological challenges, hindering realization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various aspects of MR-integrated PT (MRiPT).
- To report on the current status of MRiPT development.
- To identify key future research directions for MRiPT.
Main Methods:
- Investigating electromagnetic interactions between MRI and PT systems.
- Developing integrated MRiPT workflows for clinical settings.
- Adapting proton dose calculation algorithms for magnetic fields.
- Exploring MRI-only based proton treatment planning.
Main Results:
- Significant progress has been made across all four investigated aspects of MRiPT.
- Promising results indicate the feasibility and potential of MRiPT.
- Initial non-clinical MRiPT solutions have been developed and are under characterization.
Conclusions:
- MR-integrated PT (MRiPT) is in its early stages but shows significant promise.
- Further research and development are warranted based on current progress.
- Prototype MRiPT systems for clinical use are anticipated within 5-10 years, requiring collaborative efforts.
