"Particle Radiation Therapy, New Opportunities for Patients... Need for Accumulation of Research and Clinical Data"

The 78th Cancer Conquest Forum
Hosted by National Cancer Center and Cancer Conquest Promotion Planning Team

Particle radiation therapies such as proton therapy and carbon ion therapy have been identified as new treatment options for patients. It was also suggested that the accumulation of related research and clinical data is necessary for the advancement of particle radiation therapy.

At the 78th Cancer Conquest Forum held on the afternoon of the 21st at the National Cancer Center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, Park Hee-cheol, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at Samsung Seoul Hospital, is giving a presentation.
[Photo by Lee Myung-hwan]

On the afternoon of the 21st, Kim Taehyun, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center, stated at the 78th Cancer Conquest Forum held at the National Cancer Center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, under the theme "New Opportunities in Cancer Treatment: Proton Therapy and Carbon Ion Therapy," that "We cannot rely solely on importing (particle radiation therapy technology) from abroad; we must also develop technology and establish clinical evidence ourselves." This forum was jointly hosted by the National Cancer Center and the Cancer Conquest Promotion Planning Group.

According to Director Kim and others, particle radiation therapy is broadly categorized under radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is mainly divided into photon radiation and particle radiation. Photon radiation includes X-rays and gamma rays, while particle radiation includes protons and carbon ions. Treatments utilizing protons and carbon ions are referred to as particle radiation therapy. Particle radiation therapy is known to have higher treatment efficacy and fewer side effects compared to conventional radiation therapy. This is because it delivers higher energy than traditional X-ray-based treatments, resulting in greater cancer treatment effectiveness while minimizing side effects on normal tissues.

Proton therapy is a treatment method that accelerates protons, which along with neutrons make up atomic nuclei, for cancer treatment. Proton therapy utilizes the physical property of protons known as the "Bragg Peak," which refers to the phenomenon where protons deposit a large amount of energy in cancerous tissues as they pass through the human body. Proton therapy is also known to cause almost no side effects that can occur during radiation therapy.

The carbon ion therapy device, first introduced domestically by Severance Hospital in April, has also attracted significant attention. It offers fewer side effects, shorter treatment times, and greater effectiveness compared to existing treatments. Carbon ion therapy uses beams of carbon atoms accelerated to near the speed of light to precisely target and treat cancer cells. The biological effectiveness of carbon ion therapy is known to be 2 to 3 times superior to that of X-rays. Lee Ikjae, Director of the Carbon Ion Therapy Center at Yonsei Medical Center, who presented at the forum, stated, "We will provide new treatment opportunities for patients with intractable cancers and elevate the level of cancer treatment," and pledged, "We will lead evidence-based research."

The introduction of carbon ion therapy in Korea is relatively late compared to other advanced countries. The United States began carbon ion radiation therapy in 1977, and Japan started carbon ion therapy in 1994. Korea is the seventh country in the world to introduce a carbon ion therapy device. Yonsei Medical Center began discussions on introducing carbon ion therapy equipment in 2013 and completed installation last October.

However, the medical community emphasizes that both therapies require clinical research, technological development, and sufficient research data to support them. Proton therapy is evaluated as needing additional clinical and technological development research to provide better treatment options. Carbon ion therapy also has a short clinical application period, and there is a lack of accumulated clinical data to evaluate differences from existing treatment methods. Furthermore, technical developments such as beam irradiation accuracy are needed.

The presenters at the forum also stressed the need to accumulate research and clinical data. Park Heechul, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at Samsung Medical Center, said, "Studies on proton and carbon ion therapies show variability in equivalence and superiority depending on the research," and added, "Support for research to more firmly establish the roles and indications of these therapies is necessary." Kim Haksoo, Team Leader of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center, stated, "We must eliminate uncertainties in particle radiation therapy and improve it to provide patient-tailored treatment," and emphasized, "It is necessary to find the optimal particle radiation therapy method for each individual patient while conducting quality verification research."

Panelists are discussing at the 78th Cancer Conquest Forum held on the afternoon of the 21st at the National Cancer Center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi-do, hosted by the National Cancer Center and the Cancer Conquest Promotion Planning Group.
[Photo by Myunghwan Lee]

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