Monoenergetic synchrotron beams: first human experience for therapeutic purpose
Résumé
Synchrotron radiation (SR) at the ESRF has several notable features for medical use: a fluence5 to 6 orders of magnitude higher than that of a conventional X-ray tube, abroad spectrum extending up to more than 300 keV and a very small divergence(<0.1º). These features allow to develop two types of approaches for therapeutic purposes: i) irradiations of tissues using polyenergetic arrays of high dose rate microbeams i) fast irradiations of tumours using monochromatic X-rays in the energy range dominated by the photo-electric effect on heavy compounds previously introduced in the target volume. This second method operated as Stereotactic Synchrotron Radiation Therapy (SSRT) will be discussed in this presentation.