How physics is tackling cancer treatment shortages

Without physics, many aspects of modern life that we take for granted from transport and telecommunications to construction, simply wouldn’t be possible. But a particularly vital contribution of physics is to healthcare, specifically in developing tools and technologies for cancer treatment. Radiotherapy, a cornerstone of cancer care, relies heavily on advances in physics – but not just for the underpinning science. Physics also has a role to play in increasing access to this life-saving treatment.

Access to radiotherapy is far from universal and regions like Sub-Saharan Africa face significant shortages in radiotherapy equipment and trained professionals as highlighted in a recent article:

"Tackling the radiotherapy shortage in Sub-Saharan Africa by gathering and using data from Lower-Middle-Income and High-Income Countries’ facilities for designing a future robust radiotherapy facility."

A new article to be published in The Lancet Oncology explores how data from different economic contexts can help find strategies to solve this shortage. By using examples from both high-income and lower-middle-income countries, the research identifies scalable and practical solutions that can be adapted to the specific needs of resource-limited regions. The work demonstrates how physics, combined with data science, can create impactful solutions, particularly in places where access to advanced healthcare is limited.

Access to diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy technologies for patients with cancer in the Baltic countries, eastern Europe, central Asia, and the Caucasus: a comprehensive analysis”

In both cases, physics offers hope. By applying cutting-edge physics-based innovations – such as the development of cost-effective linear accelerators or more efficient treatment protocols – it is possible to improve access to cancer care globally, whether in Sub-Saharan Africa, South East Europe or the regions examined in the ART study. As researchers at Oxford’s John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science (JAI), one area of our work is focused on tackling some of these challenges. We are currently studying patterns in faults in radiotherapy linear accelerators and looking at how machine learning and AI can be deployed for early fault prediction; this would limit or even prevent machine downtime and result in more treatment for more people. We are also investigating an alternative, more robust multi-leaf collimator design to still deliver conformal dose distributions while again, still minimising the likelihood of faults. Interestingly, our advanced accelerator technology research that feeds into experiments at CERN is also being used to develop a novel robust and reliable radiotherapy machine. 

Looking to the future, innovations in radiotherapy treatment look to improve patient outcomes through advanced treatment planning and delivery technologies. Alongside numerous collaborators, we have been heavily involved in such innovations. One of these is the so-called FLASH effect: a new horizon which could utilise ultra-high dose rates to improve patient outcomes and reduce treatment times. JAI researchers have contributed to studies on scattering systems for high intensity beam delivery, as well as silica fibre detectors for rapidly and accurately determining the received dose.

For Oxford Physics, these studies are a reminder that the applications of physics are not confined to laboratories or theoretical work. Real-world healthcare challenges demand interdisciplinary collaborations where physics plays a central role in creating life-saving technologies. Through innovative research and global partnerships, we can ensure that cancer treatment technologies, powered by physics, are made accessible to all.