Particle minibeam therapy (PMBT) is an innovative new treatment approach that combines the improved dose deposition characteristics of charged particles (such as protons and other ions) with the normal tissue sparing potential of minibeam radiation therapy (MBRT). In MBRT, the irradiation field is composed of multiple sub-millimetre beamlets that are spaced apart to create a highly modulated dose pattern characterized by alternating regions of high dose (peaks) and low dose (valleys). This so-called spatial fractionation of the dose represents a sharp contrast to conventional radiotherapy where a solid large beam (often widths > 1 cm) is used to deliver a laterally homogeneous dose distribution. Currently at a pre-clinical stage, PMBT experiments have already demonstrated a remarkable increase of normal tissue tolerances as well as tumor control rates equivalent or even superior to those achievable with conventional proton therapy in radioresistant animal tumor models.
The aim of this First International Workshop on Particle Minibeam Therapy is to lay the foundations for a global community of scientists and professionals interested in PMBT. The PMBT Workshop will offer a chance for researchers and clinical professionals (oncologists, medical physicists, …) as well as interested industrials from around the world to come together, discuss, learn, and exchange knowledge and ideas in this field. It will provide a multidisciplinary forum and a rigorous scientific environment that, we hope, will boost the transition of minibeams to the clinics and help unleashing the full potential of PMBT.