Diffusing alpha-emitter radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer

A method of preparing a radiotherapy treatment, comprising:

• identifying a tumor as a pancreatic cancer tumor;
• receiving an image of the pancreatic cancer tumor;
• and
• providing a layout of diffusing alpha-emitter radiation therapy (DaRT) sources for the pancreatic cancer tumor, wherein the sources have a radon release rate of between 1.2 and 2.5 microcurie per centimeter length.

An apparatus for preparing a radiotherapy treatment, comprising:

• an input interface for receiving information on a tumor;
• a processor configured to determine that the tumor is a pancreatic cancer tumor and to generate a layout of diffusing alpha-emitter radiation therapy (DaRT) sources for the tumor, wherein the sources in the layout have a radon release rate of between 1.2 and 2.5 microcurie per centimeter length and the sources in the layout are arranged in a regular pattern having a distance between adjacent sources of not more than 5 millimeters;
• and
• an output interface for displaying the layout to a human operator.

A method of preparing a radiotherapy treatment, comprising:

• receiving a request for diffusing alpha-emitter radiation therapy (DaRT) sources for a pancreatic cancer tumor;
• determining a number of radiotherapy sources required for the pancreatic cancer tumor;
• and
• providing a kit including the determined number of radiotherapy sources, wherein the sources have a radon release rate of between 1.2 and 2.5 microcurie per centimeter length.

A diffusing alpha-emitter radiation therapy (DaRT) source for use in treatment of a pancreatic cancer tumor of a patient, the source comprising:

• a support having a length of at least 1 millimeter;
• and
• radium-224 atoms coupled to the support such that not more than 20% of the radium-224 atoms leave the support into the tumor in 24 hours, without decay, when the source is implanted in the tumor, but upon decay, at least 5% of daughter radionuclides of the radium-224 atoms leave the support upon decay;
• characterized in that
• the administration pattern of the source comprises implanting the source in the pancreatic cancer tumor throughout the tumor, with a spacing between the sources of between 3-4.5 millimeters, and
• the radiation therapy source has a radon release rate of between 1.2 and 2.5 microcurie per centimeter length.