Doctoral thesis contributes to increased precision in modern radiation therapy
The most common way to treat cancer with radiation is with photon beams, which are light-like beams. The technology now allows radiation to be aimed very precisely at the tumor. This protects healthy tissue but demands extreme precision. Small errors in measurements, machines, or software can lead to slightly high or low doses. This thesis examines several areas where such errors may arise.
We asked Mohammed Ali Ghazal, doctoral student at the Department of Oncology-Pathology to tell us what his thesis is about.
“My thesis focuses on improving the accuracy of photon beam radiotherapy by reducing uncertainties in how radiation dose is measured, modelled, and calculated, with a particular emphasis on small radiation fields used in modern stereotactic treatments.”
Which are the most important results?
“The work shows that the entire radiotherapy process must be considered in order to achieve truly precise results of the treatment. By improving how small radiation fields are measured, ensuring that different radiotherapy machines function in the same way, optimizing the models in treatment‑planning systems, and carefully checking dose‑calculation algorithms, treatment can be made both more accurate and more consistent.”
How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?
“When the delivered dose is more accurate, treatment becomes safer for the patient. The tumor receives the correct amount of radiation, and healthy tissue is spared to a greater extent. This can lead to better treatment outcomes and fewer side effects, especially in advanced, highly precise and stereotactic radiotherapy.”
What are your future ambitions?
“I aim to continue working at the interface between academia and clinical practice, contributing to safer and more precise radiotherapy through research, clinical implementation, and quality assurance, with a focus on translating advanced dosimetric methods into routine patient care.”
Doctoral thesis
“Developing the advanced dosimetry of linac beam radiotherapy”
Dissertation
Monday February 23, 2026 at 13:00 in J3:11 Birger & Margareta Blombäck, BioClinicum