Testing the INSIDE System for Monitoring Proton and Carbon Ion Therapy in Selected Head and Neck and Brain Cancers

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the clinical feasibility and effectiveness of an innovative online monitoring device called the INSIDE system during hadrontherapy treatments for certain cancers. The study focuses on patients treated at the Italian National Centre of Oncological Hadrontherapy with proton or carbon ion radiation for specific tumors such as meningioma, nasopharynx cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and clival chordoma. The goal is to measure how well the INSIDE system can track the particle beam range inside the patients body and ensure treatment matches the clinical plan, aiming to optimize the dose delivered while protecting healthy tissues. The INSIDE system combines two types of detectors an in-beam Positron Emission Tomography PET scanner and a Dose Profiler, which collect signals generated during treatment without adding extra radiation to the patient. These detectors are placed around the patient immediately before treatment and remain in position during the irradiation. The system is compatible with multi-field irradiation and is used during the entire treatment period, which typically lasts about 4 to 6 weeks for the selected conditions. The study groups include patients receiving either carbon ion radiation therapy or proton radiation therapy. Participants undergo a longitudinal monitoring protocol where measurements are taken throughout the treatment to compare the ongoing therapy with the prescribed plan. Researchers will evaluate the stability of the INSIDE systems response, the clinical tolerances for particle range differences, and the potential benefits of integrating the system into routine clinical practice. The primary outcomes focus on particle range measurements averaged over five weeks and separately analyzed for each pathology over four months. The studys total duration and assessments support optimizing hadrontherapy treatment delivery and safety.

Innovative SolutIons for DosimEtry in Hadrontherapy (INSIDE)