On December 3rd, the programme will feature two captivating keynote lectures delivered by leading international scientific figures:

The “FLASH effect” in external beam radiotherapy has the potential to reshape the future of radiation treatments, especially with charged particles, with important implications for many cancer patients. The FRIDA (Flash Radiotherapy with hIgh Dose-rate particle beAms) project addresses several challenges posed by this potential revolution, ranging from mechanistic understanding to effect modeling. FRIDA also aims to coordinate this crucial research and development phase in Italy in the fields of acceleration and therapeutic beam delivery to supply the required dose rates with clinically acceptable accuracy. Clinical implementation of the FLASH effect can only occur if new beam monitoring and dosimetry techniques are developed that can support the very high dose rates required to trigger the FLASH effect. Finally, software tools for FLASH treatment planning are needed to assess the potential of the technique and enable clinical applications.