Marco Pullia

A beam of carbon ions strikes the tumor precisely, like a surgeon who can only see the skin. Inside the body, the beam stops, and exactly where used to be a mystery. Now, helium is mixed into the same beam: it passes through the body like an X-ray, and its trail shows where the carbon went.

When a carbon ion beam enters the body, it doesn't release energy all at once but rather at the end of its path, like a runner who gives their all on the final stretch. Doctors need to know this finish point to avoid damaging healthy tissue. But how can you look inside the body without making an incision?