# A Review of 3D-Printed Medical Devices for Cancer Radiation Therapy

## TL;DR

This review highlights how 3D printing is transforming cancer radiation therapy by enabling customized, cost-effective, and sustainable medical devices.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of 3D printing's role in radiation therapy, emphasizing its integration with AI for intelligent treatment solutions.

## Key findings

- 3D printing outperforms conventional methods in design flexibility, cost, and material efficiency.
- 3D-printed GRID collimators show comparable dosimetric performance to traditional devices.
- AI integration promises automated planning and real-time quality assurance in radiotherapy.

## Abstract

This review explores the transformative role of three-dimensional (3D) printing in radiation therapy for cancer treatment, emphasizing its potential to deliver patient-specific, cost-effective, and sustainable medical devices. The integration of 3D printing enables rapid fabrication of customized boluses, compensators, immobilization devices, and GRID collimators tailored to individual anatomical and clinical requirements. Comparative analysis reveals that additive manufacturing surpasses conventional machining in design flexibility, lead time reduction, and material efficiency, while offering significant cost savings and recyclability benefits. Case studies demonstrate that 3D-printed GRID collimators achieve comparable dosimetric performance to traditional devices, with peak-to-valley dose ratios optimized for spatially fractionated radiation therapy. Furthermore, emerging applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in conjunction with 3D printing promise automated treatment planning, generative device design, and real-time quality assurance, and are paving the way for adaptive and intelligent radiotherapy solutions. Regulatory considerations, including FDA guidelines for additive manufacturing, are discussed to ensure compliance and patient safety. Despite challenges such as material variability, workflow standardization, and large-scale clinical validation, evidence indicates that 3D printing significantly enhances therapeutic precision, reduces toxicity, and improves patient outcomes. This review underscores the synergy between 3D printing and AI-driven innovations as a cornerstone for next-generation radiation oncology, offering a roadmap for clinical adoption and future research.