German Team Tests Radioactive Carbon Beam for Cancer Therapy

Researchers have carried out the first cancer treatment using a radioactive carbon ion beam (^11C), targeting a mouse with a bone tumor near the spine. The experiment, performed at the GSI/FAIR accelerator, marks a major step toward combining therapy and real-time imaging in particle therapy.

Particle therapy with protons or heavy ions is highly precise, but its effectiveness is limited by range uncertainties that affect the Bragg peak position. Traditional PET scans detect isotopes created during treatment, but the signal is weak and misaligned with the dose peak.

The ERC-funded BARB project proposes using positron-emitting ions like ^11C, which produce much stronger PET signals and align more closely with the treatment zone.

“Range uncertainty remains the main problem of particle therapy,” said Marco Durante, head of biophysics at GSI. “If we ‘aim-and-shoot’ using a radioactive beam and PET imaging, we can see where the beam is and correct it. This reduces the margins that spoil precision.”

For the trial, the team used a portable PET scanner developed by Katia Parodi and colleagues at LMU Munich under the SIRMIO project, enabling real-time monitoring during the irradiation.

The results point toward a future where cancer treatments could be delivered with unprecedented accuracy.