A CAS course on advancing cancer therapy with particle accelerators

Particle accelerators have long been synonymous with fundamental physics discoveries, Nobel prizes, new technologies and research at laboratories like CERN.

By Noemi Caraban Gonzalez

What is not widely known is that, of the almost 47’000 particle accelerators in operation around the world, only 6% are destined for research (0.5% for particle physics). The remaining 94% of accelerators worldwide are built for medical and industrial applications.

We are surrounded by technologies that require accelerators. Semiconductor technology requires accelerators to deposit ions in them. Sterilisation of materials without chemicals or cross-linking of polymers is also possible using electron irradiation. We use electron beam technology to treat wastewater plants.