The novel AQURE FLASH (RT) accelerator, developed at the National Centre for Nuclear Research in collaboration with the Greater Poland Cancer Centre, uses ultra-high doses of radiation and could become a breakthrough tool in cancer treatment. This innovative technology is already generating a lot of interest and hope in the medical community at the testing stage. The project has just been nominated in the "Łączy nas WIELkopolskiE" competition in the Research and Development category. Online voting will begin on 17 September and will last for 10 days.

Compared to traditional radiotherapy, in which radiation doses are administered in multiple several minute sessions, FLASH radiotherapy allows the precise introduction of the entire therapeutic dose into the tumour area in just a fraction of a second. This short time significantly reduces the exposure of healthy tissue to radiation, which reduces the risk of complications and increases the comfort of patients.

In the fight against cancer, both early and precise diagnosis, as well as effective therapy are extremely important. Advances in this field are bringing new, increasingly accurate methods of diagnosis, but it is equally important to develop therapies that minimise the side effects of treatment. In the case of radiotherapy, the implementation of FLASH therapy may prove to be such a breakthrough.

The therapy is based on a modern electron accelerator developed at the National Centre for Nuclear Research in collaboration with the Greater Poland Cancer Centre. This device is capable of generating a beam of radiation over a wide range and with precisely defined parameters.

A portable platform created on the basis of the AQURE intraoperative accelerator allows the generation of a radiation beam for both FLASH therapy and conventional therapy. The device, constructed by specialists from the Department of Nuclear Equipment HITEC and the NCBJ Department of Nuclear Techniques and Equipment, will be used to create a unique research station at the Greater Poland Cancer Centre. It will enable the development of a method for the safe introduction of this technology into clinical treatment.

FLASH therapy could mark a breakthrough in the fight against cancer. The AQURE FLASH (RT) accelerator is the only device of this type in Poland and one of the few in the world, which has already been recognised by more than just the scientific community for its enormous therapeutic potential for oncology patients.

The project "Construction and validation of an ultra-high-dose electron beam generating station (FLASH)" was nominated in this year's fourth edition of the readers' competition of the e-magazine Nasz Region - "Łączy nas WIELkopolskiE". The competition recognises EU projects that make a special contribution to the development of the Greater Poland region. Nominations are awarded in four categories: "Research and Development", "Architecture and Culture", "Good Climate" and "Social Mission". Voting on the nominees will begin in mid-September and the final of the plebiscite is scheduled for November.