Emma Raleigh-Smith
M.Sc. Student
Novel Brachytherapy Technology
Bio
Emma completed her undergraduate degree in Physics at the University of British Columbia in 2024 is now a master’s student in Medical Physics at McGill University. Before joining the Enger lab she worked at TRIUMF, the Technical University of Dortmund, and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. Her research with the Enger lab focuses on dosimetry for the Vektra Electronic Brachytherapy system.
Current Projects
Electronic Brachytherapy (eBT) is a type of radiation therapy that uses a miniature x-ray tube to treat cancer. eBT generates x-rays by aiming a stream of electrons at a small metal target to produce x-rays via bremsstrahlung. This tube is placed as close as possible to the tumor and delivers a large dose of radiation to it. However, conventional eBT systems deliver a geometrically uniform beam of x-rays, which increases the radiation dose to healthy tissues and thus increases the risk of side effects.
The Vektra system aims to deliver an asymmetric dose of radiation that conforms to the tumor and spares healthy tissues. To achieve this, Vektra system steers the electron beam to strike the target off center, directing the beam towards the tumor, and then blocks remaining unwanted radiation with molybdenum shielding.
Our aim in this study is to characterize the Vektra system’s distribution of dose in heterogeneous tissues using Monte-Carlo simulations and physical measurements. This will provide more accurate information for the Vektra treatment planning system and support its clinical use, particularly for patients with skin, gynecological and rectal cancers.