Developement of new imaging method to improve cure rate of radiation therapy for intractable cancers

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K17265
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52040:Radiological sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Iramina Hiraku 京都大学, 医学研究科, 特定助教 (80826008)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: マルチエナジー撮像 / コーンビームCT / 即時適応放射線治療 / メタルアーチファクト低減 / 高画質化 / 同時曝射 / 高精度放射線治療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In cancer radiotherapy, obtaining more information about the inside of the body can improve treatment outcomes. Using the principles of CT, the researcher developed a method to obtain information about the body by using two different energy X-rays, and also developed a method to compensate for the fact that when two different X-rays are used simultaneously, the signal from one of the X-rays may be included in the detection of the signal from the other. As a result, it was demonstrated that the images obtained by the developed imaging method can be used to calculate the radiation dose for each radiation therapy and to quantify the positional changes of organs in the body during actual irradiation.

Free Research Field

医学物理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

開発した撮像方法を用いると，毎回の放射線治療の際の線量を計算できるだけでなく，実際に放射線照射中の体内臓器の位置変動を定量的に得ることができ，がん放射線治療の成績向上に資するものである．放射線治療への応用用途に限らず，目的の腫瘍のみならず周囲の体内状況をモニタリングする診断用途としても使用が可能であり，学術的意義が大きい．またその撮像方法は特別な装置は不要で，2種類のX線を発生可能な現代の放射線治療装置で容易に応用できるものであり，世界中で導入が可能な点に社会的意義がある．