Project description
Sharper imaging for proton therapy
Radiation therapy has balanced effectiveness against the risk of damaging healthy tissue. Proton therapy holds great promise, as protons can be directed to release energy precisely where tumours lie. Yet this accuracy is fragile because small anatomical shifts or setup errors can compromise treatment. A solution lies in online adaptive proton therapy, which recalibrates plans daily using new imaging. But current onboard scans lack the quality needed for safe dose calculation. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the INSCAPE project will design advanced cone-beam CT technology. The aim is to deliver clear, accurate images, paving the way for adaptive proton therapy to become routine clinical practice.
Objective
Proton radiotherapy has better healthy tissue sparing than conventional photon therapy due to protons' peaked depth-dose profile. However, the sensitivity of protons to anatomical and setup variations can result in delivery errors, potentially leading to tumor underdosage or healthy tissue overdosage. Online adaptive proton therapy (OAPT) improves delivery accuracy by daily adapting the treatment plan based on newly acquired images. Despite the well-established advantages and recent scientific advances through the H2020 MSCA International Training Network RAPTOR, OAPT has not yet become clinical practice, primarily because the quality of current onboard imaging is insufficient for proton dose calculation.
This project aims to design the next-generation onboard cone-beam CT (CBCT) for proton therapy gantries to achieve sufficient image quality for proton dose calculation.
Hardware upgrades for a current CBCT will be tested in silico by developing a Monte-Carlo (MC) simulation platform in Gate. First, the current CBCT will be modeled in collaboration with a manufacturer and the model will be validated experimentally. Then, an image reconstruction software will be implemented, using open-source libraries, which can be extended to support the hardware upgrades (e.g. reconstruction for dual-energy). Lastly, hardware upgrades will be simulated in the MC platform, including dual-energy CBCT, dynamic collimation, photon counting detectors and systems speeding up CBCT rotation to avoid motion artifacts. All upgrades will be evaluated with various virtual phantoms and evaluation will be performed in image space and dosimetrically.
The project will show the dosimetric impact of these CBCT hardware upgrades, allowing the proton therapy community to understand the changes required to make on-board CBCT ready for online adaptation. Overcoming this critical step will enable widespread clinical adoption of OAPT, enhancing the clinical benefits of proton therapy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1348 LOUVAIN LA NEUVE
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.