“Although we are becoming more precise in delivering radiation, we cannot prevent that some healthy tissue gets damaged. Treatment for head and neck cancer often affects the salivary glands, for example. A well-known side effect is a persistent dry mouth. This can be quite bothersome for patients, and it's not easily fixed by drinking water. Even speaking may be difficult. We struggled to accurately measure this side effect in the past. Patients would describe their level of discomfort on a questionnaire, but this wasn't objective. I discovered that a PSMA PET scan, often used to detect prostate cancer, also works on the head region. Through this innovative method, we can measure the damage very accurately and adjust the radiation dose accordingly, if needed. To my great surprise, this research got me an award for the best physics paper at the ESTRO conference in Copenhagen. I received the opportunity to address the main hall. I feel more at home in the Netherlands than in my home country, India. So much so, that I recently became a Dutch citizen. For now, I want to continue working at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, training as a medical physicist.” Vineet will defend his thesis on May 15.
This research was financially supported by the Dutch Cancer Society.
PSMA PET-guided protective strategies against radiation therapy induced salivary gland toxicity
prof. dr. ir. J.J. Sonke
W.V. Vogel & dr. J.B. van de Kamer