Fibre optic sensor could help treat inoperable brain tumours

Just 50 microns in diameter, the sensor has been hailed by the group as a major step forward in the use of an emerging technique known as Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT), which promises highly accurate treatment of cancers.

MRT - which uses parallel beams of x-rays, each smaller in diameter than a human hair - is thought to hold particular promise for the treatment of brain tumours, where the risk of damaging surrounding tissues often mitigates against the use of existing radiotherapy treatments.

Until now its use in cancer therapy has been held back by the absence of quality assurance tools that can accurately detect the doses of radiation emitted.  But according to research  published recently in the journal Scientific Reports the new device - described as a photonic scintillator – provides a solution to this problem.

Commenting on the potential of MRT for cancer treatment, Dr Enbang Li from UOW’s School of Physics said that pre-clinical trials have shown that normal tissue can tolerate peak doses 100 times greater than the doses used in conventional radiotherapy. “An entire tumour could be destroyed with MRT while with significantly reduced damage to adjacent normal tissues,” he said.