French cancer centre Gustave Roussy, and THERYQ, a French company that specialises in particle accelerators and radiotherapy systems have announced a partnership to roll out and assess FLASH radiotherapy technology.

FLASH radiotherapy is a technique involving the delivery of ultra-high dose rate radiation to a target. It has been shown to reduce radiation-induced toxicity in healthy tissues without compromising the anti-cancer effects of treatment compared to conventional radiation therapy.

In November 2022, THERYQ joined forces with the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) and the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) to develop the advanced FLASH radiotherapy device that uses electrons, unlike traditional radiation therapy, which most often uses X-rays.

THERYQ has provided Gustave Roussy's Department of Radiotherapy with France’s first FLASHKNiFE clinical radiotherapy machine for treating superficial tumours.

This partnership means that Gustave Roussy will be the first cancer centre in France to use THERYQ's machine. A clinical study will be conducted before its mainstream use to evaluate the efficacy of the technology in skin cancer patients.

The results of this study could have a significant impact on skin cancer management and act as a guide for new therapeutic breakthroughs, including in the treatment of solid tumours.

Professor Eric Deutsch, Head of Gustave Roussy's Department of Radiotherapy, said: "Introducing this system will allow FLASH radiation therapy, a significant evolution from current methods, to undergo thorough clinical testing.”

“The reduced number of sessions, along with the possibility of minimizing radiation-induced side effects, will lead to more tolerable and effective treatments. We are fully invested in and motivated by this project, which fuels the hope of significantly improving therapeutic management."