Preclinical Challenges in Proton Minibeam Radiotherapy: Physics and Biomedical Aspects

The document explored the potential of proton minibeam radiotherapy (pMBRT) as a promising cancer treatment method that could reduce side effects while maintaining effective tumor control. Preclinical studies in mice and rats showed improved survival rates and reduced side effects compared to conventional methods. The research highlighted the superiority of magnetically focused pencil minibeams over collimation due to their higher peak-to-valley dose ratios and better sparing of healthy tissue. The study emphasized the need for a dedicated preclinical facility to advance pMBRT research, focusing on specific beam parameters like energy and spot size. It also discussed the use of radio-frequency linear accelerators (RF-LINACs) as a promising alternative to therapy cyclotrons for achieving the necessary beam characteristics. The document concluded that further research is needed to explore pMBRT's effectiveness across various tissues and cancers, with a particular focus on pediatric cancers and brain tumors.