News flash.

Headline: FLASH-RT appears safe and feasible in human subjects.

The Study: Back in 2018 we began reading about FLASH-RT studies in cats. Flash forward to ASTRO 2022 and we have initial results of FAST-01, the first-in-human trial of proton FLASH-RT. Ten patients with 1-3 painful bone metastases were treated with 8 Gy in 1 fraction using proton FLASH-RT delivered at a rate of >40 Gy/s… you do the math. Outcomes were what you’d expect from palliative radiation for bone mets: 33% had a temporary pain flare, 67% had pain relief, and 50% had complete pain response. There was minimal toxicity. 

TBL: FAST-01 demonstrates that through-and-through proton FLASH-RT to extremity bone mets is technically feasible without unexpected adverse effects in humans. | Mascia, JAMA Oncol 2022