In adaptive radiation, the radiation dose is adapted to the patient's individual characteristics before or during the treatment (consisting of 35 daily deliveries over 6-7 weeks) to increase precision and create a better match between treatment and patient. Individual adaptation of radiation treatment is expected to increase the odds of tumor response while decreasing side effects.
Olga Hamming-Vrieze receives PhD in Adaptive Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer
21-09-2020
How can we adapt radiation therapy to each individual patient? Radiation therapist Olga Hamming-Vrieze defended her doctoral thesis about improved treatment for patients with head and neck cancer. Her research focuses on ways to select patients for treatment with adaptive radiation.
Anatomy-adapted radiation therapy
A small number of head and neck cancer patients who are receiving radiation therapy experience anatomic changes (such as weight loss) that will harm the dose distribution. Radiation therapist Olga Hamming-Vrieze and her colleagues show that this dose distribution can be significantly improved through adaptation, although patient selection remains a challenge. Evaluating these anatomic changes appears to be less accurate than evaluating the differences in doses between the planned radiation doses, and those actually delivered.
Biological adaptive radiation therapy
The second part of the thesis investigates several biomarkers that can be tracked to further individualize head and neck cancer treatment: biomarkers that measure oxygen intake or activity in the tumor. Tracking changes in biomarkers during treatment can help with the selection of patients who will require adapted treatment, such as a locally delivered higher dose of radiation.
For practical information about the thesis defense, please read more.
Thesis title: Olga Hamming-Vrieze, Adaptive Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer.
Supervisors and co-supervisor: prof. dr. M. Verheij, prof. dr. C.R.N. Rasch, and prof. dr. ir. J.J. Sonke.
Date and location: 18 September, VU University, Amsterdam.