CERN and CHUV Design Innovative Radiotherapy Facility

(CERN, September 15, 2020)

CERN and the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) are collaborating to develop the conceptual design of an innovative “FLASH” radiotherapy facility, used for cancer treatment. In radiotherapy, the FLASH effect appears when a high dose of radiation is administered almost instantaneously, thereby damaging tumor tissue in the same manner as with conventional radiotherapy, but with nearly no side effects. To achieve this, Walter Wuensch, project leader at CERN, explained that they used the “CLIC [Compact Linear Collider] high-performance linear electron accelerator technology”, to design a “facility which is capable of treating large and deep-seated tumors in the very short timescales needed for FLASH therapy” and that is compact enough to be installed in existing hospitals. The first phase of the study is scheduled to conclude in September 2020.