Mapping proton therapy dose and radiation quality to reduce side effects
Official title: Dose Linear Energy Transfer Volume Histogram and Dosimetric Seed Spot Analysis in Spot Scanning Proton Therapy
Funded at Mayo Clinic Arizona · NIH-11146356 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work creates clear 3D maps of proton dose and radiation quality to help people getting brain or head-and-neck proton therapy have safer treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Arizona NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Scottsdale, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $547,325 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA280134-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146356 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people receiving or who have received spot-scanning proton therapy for brain or head-and-neck tumors whose treatment plans and follow-up imaging can be shared.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not treated with proton therapy, those with conditions unrelated to radiation exposure, or those unable to provide images or treatment records are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
They will combine each patient's planned radiation dose and linear energy transfer (LET) into a single 3D surface called a dose-LET volume histogram (DLVH) to show where high-energy deposits occur. The team will link those maps to follow-up CT, MRI, and PET images and to reported adverse events to find small 'seed spots' that seem to cause injuries like brain necrosis or bone damage. From those findings they will propose organ-level dose-LET constraints (DLVCs) that treatment planners can use to avoid risky hotspots. The work uses real patient treatment plans and imaging and focuses on people treated with spot-scanning proton therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lower rates of serious side effects from proton therapy by guiding planners to avoid high-risk dose and LET hotspots.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has suggested links between LET and tissue injury, but combining dose and LET into a DLVH and linking seed-spot findings to clinical harms is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Scottsdale, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Wei — Mayo Clinic Arizona
- Study coordinator: Liu, Wei
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.