Real-time guided proton radiation for more precise liver tumor treatment
Official title: High-Precision Proton Therapy for Liver Cancer: Developing an End-to-end Strategy with Real-time Liver Tumor Localization and On-the-fly Plan Delivery Adaptation
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11294260 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying a proton radiation approach that tracks liver tumors in real time to treat people with liver cancer more precisely while protecting healthy liver tissue.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $607,563 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA280135-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294260 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with primary or metastatic liver tumors who are eligible for stereotactic or proton radiation and can attend treatment at a specialized proton therapy center.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not eligible for proton therapy, have widespread liver failure, or cannot undergo the required imaging and treatment procedures are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be treated using proton radiation that aims to concentrate dose on liver tumors while reducing exposure to healthy liver. The team is building real-time imaging and AI-driven tracking to follow breathing-related tumor motion during treatment. When the system detects motion, it would adjust the proton beam delivery on the fly so the radiation stays on target. Early testing will combine lab work, treatment planning simulations, and specialized patient treatments at a proton therapy center.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve tumor control and reduce radiation damage to healthy liver, lowering side effects from liver radiotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: High-precision SBRT and proton therapy have shown promise for liver tumors, but real-time motion-tracked, on-the-fly adaptation for proton pencil-beam delivery is largely experimental and not yet proven in routine care.
Where this research is happening
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Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, You — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Zhang, You
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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.