Better Radiation Treatment, At Lower Cost
As an essential component of cancer care, radiation therapy–targeted beams of radiation delivered by a radiation therapy machine – is the standard of care for 50 percent of cancer patients for cure or through critical palliation. Linear accelerators, or LINACs, offer more accurate treatment with less damage to normal tissues than treatment delivered with machines that utilize cobalt-60 radioactive sources that also pose security and environmental risks. LINAC technology, though, is both more costly and difficult to acquire and maintain, making access to LINAC-based radiation therapy in LMICs particularly scarce.
Nigeria, for example, has seven LINACs for its population of 206 million, or 29.4 million people per LINAC, and Ethiopia, just one, for 115 million people. In contrast, high-income countries (HICs) such as the U.S. has 3,827 LINACs for a population of 331 million or 87,000 people per LINAC, and the state of Rhode Island alone, has 12 LINACs for a population of one million.
Globally, there are only 13,000 LINACs. With Project STELLA, ICEC and its partners are developing a new, technologically disruptive more affordable and easier to maintain LINAC-based radiation therapy system, with the goal of contributing significantly to overcoming the projected global shortage of 12,000 additional linear accelerators between now and 2040 to provide this life-saving treatment.
A team of experts has defined a new technological approach to LINAC design, offering hope of increased access to radiotherapy for LMICs and underserved populations in HICs.
While the project’s primary goal is to address the challenges of access to radiation therapy in LMICs, it will also contribute to reducing healthcare costs globally by providing high-quality, lower cost treatment, and also benefit HICs seeking to reduce costs and improve access, as they face financial pressures and access challenges in more rural areas.