Unveiling the 'Dream Cancer Treatment Device'... Yonsei Medical Center's Heavy Ion Therapy Center Revealed

Improving Drawbacks and Increasing Efficiency of Existing Radiation Therapy
First Introduced in Korea... Official Operation from March Next Year
"Realizing Precision Medicine to Advance Future Medicine"

Particle accelerator at Yonsei Medical Center's Heavy Ion Therapy Center.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Yonsei University Medical Center, which is introducing the carbon ion therapy machine?known as the "dream cancer treatment device"?for the first time in Korea, unveiled its Carbon Ion Therapy Center on the 19th. Starting with the operation of a fixed carbon ion therapy machine in March next year, and with two rotating (gantry) machines becoming operational in 2024, Korea will become a fully-fledged country equipped with carbon ion therapy machines.

Carbon ion therapy is known to be more effective than the X-ray and proton radiation therapies currently used for cancer treatment in domestic hospitals. Neutrons accelerated from carbon have a much greater mass than X-rays (electrons) and protons (hydrogen ions). Hydrogen is about 20,000 times heavier than electrons, and carbon is 12 times heavier than hydrogen, resulting in a stronger impact on cancer cells.

Additionally, due to the characteristic of carbon ions releasing maximum energy at the target point, the impact on cancer cells can be further intensified. X-rays affect all biological tissues from the skin to the cancer cells inside the body, so even if a strong impact on cancer cells is desired, the energy must be adjusted considering damage to normal cells. In contrast, carbon ions deliver a lower radiation dose at the body surface and release most of their energy at the targeted cancer tissue, minimizing the impact on surrounding tissues. This means fewer side effects and aftereffects for patients undergoing treatment.

Rotating Heavy Ion Therapy Device (Gantry).

Carbon ion therapy can be applied to all solid cancers except hematologic cancers, and it is especially effective against cancer cells in hypoxic (oxygen-deficient) environments, which have been difficult to treat with existing methods. These hypoxic cancer cells are highly resilient to survive under low oxygen conditions. They can withstand radiation doses over 100 times higher and are known to be difficult to treat because anticancer drugs have difficulty penetrating them.

Yoon Dong-seop, director of Yonsei Medical Center, said, “Carbon ion therapy is expected to more than double the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic, lung, and liver cancers, which are considered the three major intractable cancers with survival rates below 30%. It is also anticipated to be widely used for treating rare cancers such as bone and soft tissue sarcomas, chordomas, and malignant melanomas, as well as prostate cancer treatment, due to its lower side effects and excellent patient convenience compared to existing treatments. This has been confirmed through numerous cases in Japan.”

Yonsei Medical Center will introduce a total of three carbon ion therapy machines: one fixed and two rotating. The rotating machines can rotate 360 degrees to deliver carbon ions, allowing focused treatment of cancer cells from any direction. The average number of treatment sessions is 12, about half that of X-ray and proton therapies. Each patient’s treatment time is only about one minute, but preparation takes time, so the three machines plan to treat about 50 patients per day. Patients experience almost no pain after treatment and can return home immediately.

Yoon Dong-seop, Director of Yonsei Medical Center.

Yonsei Medical Center plans to begin operating the fixed carbon ion therapy machine in March next year, initially targeting prostate cancer. Six months later, one rotating machine will be activated, followed by the second rotating machine a year later. The rotating carbon ion therapy machines can be applied to most solid cancers except hematologic cancers, opening a new era in cancer treatment.

Furthermore, Yonsei Medical Center will strengthen precision medicine, including cell therapies, alongside "personalized medicine" based on big data such as genomic information, in addition to introducing carbon ion therapy machines. The center plans to rapidly adopt new treatments such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies and present an advanced treatment paradigm through the development of drugs, biomarkers, and medical devices.

Director Yoon emphasized, "Yonsei Medical Center, which has led Korean healthcare, will take the lead in overcoming severe intractable diseases through precision medicine, including not only leading fields like robotic surgery but also new drug therapies and carbon ion therapy, to solidify its medical leadership."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.