Dosimetric characterization of an ultra-high dose rate beam for FLASH radiotherapy through alanine EPR dosimetry

Experimental evidence is growing, supporting the evidence of a considerable normal tissue sparing effect when treatments are delivered with dose rates much larger with respect to the conventional ones [1]. In particular, an increasing of the therapeutic window has been demonstrated for dose rates over 50 Gy/s, over a large variety of in-vivo experiments [2]. If confirmed, the ‘FLASH effect’ has the potential to re-shape the future of radiation treatments, with a significant impact on many oncology patients [3]. Ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) beams for FLASH radiotherapy present significant dosimetric challenges [4]. Ionization chambers are affected by ion recombination effects, although novel …