
PET scan of a mouse undergoing radioactive ion beam therapy. The edge of the tumor is marked with a red line, and the red shading shows where the highest radiation dose is absorbed.
Giulio Rovatti (LMU)
A more precise method of destroying tumors using beams of radioactive particles could help target hard-to-treat cancers near sensitive organs such as the spinal cord and optic nerves.
Most radiation therapies use beams of X-rays to destroy cancer cells, but for tumors deep in the body, they can damage healthy tissue in the beam’s path.