Watch: Low-Cost Radiation Therapy Increases Access to Treatment

Cancer treatment is not a given for everyone—in low- and middle-income countries especially, access to treatment, if available, could be a years-long wait. Eric Ford ’92, a professor at the University of Washington Medical Center, shares how he is working to address that problem during a recent installment of the MIT Alumni Association’s Faculty Forum Online, Alumni Edition.

Ford was named in Physics World’s Top 10 Breakthroughs of 2018, an honor awarded to scientific and engineering discoveries that have displayed significant knowledge and understanding, have played an important role in scientific progress, and have led to the development of real-world applications. He was part of a multi-institutional group recognized for creating a low-cost method for implementing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), a high-precision form of radiation therapy for cancer.

In this Alumni Association talk, Ford discusses the details of the radiation method, which is in development and will soon be in trials with a partner hospital in India. As a leading expert on quality and safety in health care, he also discusses the key considerations in translating technology to practice, including in the developing world.

The talk was moderated by independent health and science journalist Teresa Carr, a 2017–18 MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow.

Watch the video above, then catch up on previous talks from the Faculty Forum Online.