In-vivo proof of concept of microbubbles based non-invasive dosimetry for radiotherapy treatment.

Cancer remains a major public health problem in the world which necessitates the need for further technological innovation towards effective treatment strategies. Next to surgery and chemotherapy, an important treatment option is radiotherapy in which tumor cells are destroyed by ionizing radiation. Although modern radio therapeutic treatment strategies have become very efficient by reducing radiation to adjacent (healthy) tissue whenever possible, further developments are jeopardized by the fact that the effective radiation dose to the tumor can only be estimated and not effectively be measured in-situ. We previously proposed a new measurement system that would allow for in-situ dosimetry and have provided proof-of-concept data in water tank experiments (i.e. ex-vivo). The goal of the current IOF project is therefore to demonstrate that the proposed dosimetry system can operate in-vivo thereby forming a cornerstone in leveraging the proposed technology towards commercialization.