Many studies support the hypothesis that radiation–induced tumor vascular damage is driving the success of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Similarly, for radiation therapy combined with targeted gold nanoparticles (GNP), a higher concentration of GNP near the tumor vasculature should provide a therapeutic advantage over passive diffusion into the tumor tissue. A review of the relevant physics and published literature will be provided. Data from recent studies will be shown illustrating tumor vascular disruption after targeted GNP administration and conformal radiation therapy.
Ross Berbeco, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, working on preclinical radiotherapy with nanoparticles at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Berbeco received undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1996. His PhD was conferred by the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for experimental high energy physics work on the Higgs Boson performed at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland. Since 2002, Dr. Berbeco has been performing research, teaching and clinical duties in the field of radiation therapy physics at Harvard Medical School.