Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy delivers small parts of rays, called beamlets, directly to specific sections or particular points on a tumor while also sparing healthy tissue.
Conventional radiation therapy uses a single, cumulative treatment plan that neglects changes in tumor geometry and biology over time. However, recent technological advances have made it possible to capture these changes throughout the course of treatment. Ronald Rardin, holder of the John and Mary Lib White Endowed Systems Integration Chair in Industrial Engineering, and his doctoral student Behlul Saka have developed mathematical optimization models that will make radiation treatment plans safer and more efficient than conventional plans.
Working with geometric and biological data gathered from the most advanced technology used to capture tumor changes, the researchers can find the maximum dose of energy to deliver to the tumor without undue risk to healthy tissues. These models will help optimize radiation treatment on a per-session and cumulative basis.