Positron emission tomography for quality assurance of cancer therapy with light ion beams.

Positron emission tomography (PET) offers the possibility of in-situ monitoring the tumour treatment with light ion beams by means of imaging the spatial distribution of positron-activity that is produced as a byproduct of the therapeutic irradiation via nuclear fragmentation reactions between the projectiles and the atomic nuclei of the tissue within the target volume. The implementation of this PET technique at the experimental tumour therapy facility at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt and first results of its clinical application are presented.