In the evenings, after patients have left for the day, our research team visits the radiation oncology offices at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to talk to medical physicists about how our research can help cancer patients. We also run experiments in their radiation suites.

The radiation suites contain large machines that deliver high-energy X-ray and electron beams, known as accelerators. The rooms are surrounded by foot-thick concrete walls with sliding doors. The patient beds and accelerator heads move around in complex and precise motions to deliver radiation uniquely tailored to each patient and tumor.

Giving radiation to a cancer patient requires precise measurements. You need to give a lethal dose to the tumor and a nontoxic dose to the surrounding tissue. NIST researchers are working to improve these measurements, helping people with cancer live healthier lives after they complete their treatment. Credit: NIST

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