Ms Valery Peng preparing samples. Ms Peng was joint lead author of the research. Photo: Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

VectorLAB, a joint venture collaboration of physicists from the University of Sydney and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, has developed a theoretical model that should allow radiation oncologists to better target cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unaffected.

Taken to clinical application, the VectorLAB model promises to reduce the amount of burdensome radiation therapy required to treat cancers, leading to improved quality of life for patients.

The proposed approach to treatment would utilise what is known as modulated radiation therapy. This produces stripes of radiation by creating an array of microbeams, rather than relying on a single larger beam of radiation.

The research is led by Professor David McKenzie from the School of Physics at the University of Sydney and Associate Professor Natalka Suchowerska, Head of Physics Research and Education from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.

Professor David McKenzie said: “These stripes of radiation mimic the highly effective microbeam radiotherapy produced by synchrotrons and experimentally we have shown cause more cancer cell death for the same dose.”

Synchrotrons are large, circular particle accelerators, which are rare and expensive. Australia has just one synchrotron, in Melbourne.

Modulated radiation beamlets that mimic this type of treatment can be produced using smaller and cheaper linear accelerators, which are common in clinical settings and hospitals across Australia.

“We expect this will allow for widely available and more effective radiation treatment for cancer patients,” Professor McKenzie said.