3D Printing Helps Improve Cancer Treatment

Additive manufacturing (AM) is making an impact in lives around the world through its use in medical technology. While it seems obvious in retrospect that AM would be used to build inexpensive prosthetics, a less obvious use for the technology is its role in battling cancer.

Rapid Ready recently reported on how surgeons use 3D printed models to prepare for complex tumor removal surgeries, and AM can also be used as part of in situ treatment. A research team led by scientists at Dalhousie University and the Nova Scotia Cancer Center has investigated the use of AM as part of modulated electron radiation therapy (MERT).

MERT cancer treatment operates by exposing cancerous cells to radiation while simultaneously minimizing exposure to healthy cells. The electrons responsible for the therapy form a beam that targets a specific area, attacking the cancer cells directly, rather than through a broad approach. Although the beam is directed, doctors often use a bolus to further direct the effects of a treatment.

Used for MERT, a bolus is an artificial object placed over the portion of the body to be exposed to radiation. The bolus has a varying thickness that reduces the side effects of the electron beam by shielding areas of the body not intended to be exposed to the treatment. A bolus can really be thought of as a super light filter.

Each bolus must be tailored specifically for each patient, which is where AM enters the picture. Employing a specifically designed algorithm for bolus design, the research team set out to determine if AM could produce a functional bolus from basic PLA material. In order to be considered a success, a 3D printed bolus needed to not only shield some areas from the cancer treatment, but also to ensure an even distribution of radiation in the targeted area.

The team tested their design using both “phantom” models and more realistic measurements of the sort that would come from a patient. The tests returned positive results, which could mean quicker and less expensive bolus production in the future. From the paper titled “Design and production of 3D printed bolus for electron radiation therapy”:

“In comparison to manual bolus fabrication (e.g., shaping of synthetic bolus sheets or molding of wax or thermoplastics), the technique allows for optimization of bolus design with regard to dose conformity and homogeneity within the target volume … Phantom and simulated patient studies demonstrate that the technique can achieve excellent dose conformity and acceptable dose homogeneity.”

Below you’ll find a video about cancer treatment.

Source: Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics