For the first time, SPArc has been used to treat an ACC.

• ACC is a relatively rare form of cancer that most commonly develops in the salivary glands or other regions of the head and neck.

About Step-and-Shoot Proton Arc (SPArc)

• It is a kind of advanced radiation therapy technique. 
  • Radiation therapy kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid).
• It works by targeting tumours with protons while sparing surrounding tissue.
  • Proton is a subatomic particle with a positive electrical charge.
• Methodology: Based on a computer programme that scans all possible spots and energy layers where the proton beams could be delivered.
  •  An energy layer is a slice of tissue that receives proton beams of a specific energy. 
• Benefits of SPArc: Improves the quality of radiation dose planning for various cancers like head and neck, brain, etc. 
  • For instance, the SPArc methods reduced radiation delivered to the brainstem (by 10%) and spinal canal (by 90%) over Single Field Optimization Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (SFO-IMPT).