CERN Accelerating science

Abstract

The unique properties of ion beams make them intrinsically suitable for highly conformal dose delivery to the tumour. However, the motion of organs situated in the thorax and abdomen strongly affects the precision of proton and carbon ion radiotherapy. The motion causes the displacement of the tumour, as well as modifications of the density along the therapeutical beam path in the body. This lecture covers state-of-the-art strategies for tumour motion monitoring and irradiation of moving targets.

Bio - Andrea Pella

Andrea Pella received his Doctoral degree in Bioengineering from Politecnico di Milano University in 2012, discussing a thesis titled ‘Technologies and methods for treatment geometry optimization in radiation therapy with accelerated particles’. All the experimental activities were carried out between Italy (Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica, CNAO) and Germany (GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, GSI). After two years of Postdoc, he formally joined the Bioengineering Division of CNAO. The core of his research activity is focused on new technologies aimed at patient positioning and image guided setup verification in particle therapy, with particular attention to organ motion mitigation strategies. Today Dr Pella is Deputy Bioengineer for Research and Development, leading a team of three permanent junior researchers and several undergraduate and graduated students. In the framework of 'The Hadron Academy: Risk and complexity in high tech medical innovation' (IUSS, University of Cagliari, CNAO), he is lecturer of a PhD course titled 'Bioengineering applications and clinical research in hadrontherapy'.