May 11, 2016 — Varian Medical Systems delivered the cyclotron for the new multi-room HollandPTC in Delft, the Netherlands, which will be equipped with the Varian ProBeam proton therapy system. The cyclotron, a particle accelerator which accelerates protons to two-thirds of the speed of light for clinical use, is a core piece of equipment of the ProBeam system. The delivery marks the start of equipment installation, a key milestone for each new proton therapy center.
HollandPTC is part of Medical Delta, the medical-technological collaboration of the universities and university medical centers of Leiden, Delft and Rotterdam. Due for completion in 2017, the center will feature two proton therapy treatment rooms with full rotational gantries, one for fixed-beam eye treatments, as well as a dedicated research room.
Proton therapy makes it possible to treat certain types of cancer more precisely and with potentially fewer side effects than is possible with conventional radiation therapy. With proton therapy, the risk of damage to healthy tissues and potential side effects is reduced because the beam is designed to stop and deposit dose within the tumor site rather than passing all the way through the patient. Proton therapy can be used for many of the most common types of cancer.
HollandPTC business director Rob Florijn said, "The arrival of the cyclotron is an important milestone in the realization of HollandPTC. Varian has been a great partner in achieving this, as well as joining us in our research efforts towards a new generation of proton therapy."
Varian's ProBeam technology is being used to treat patients at the Scripps Proton Therapy Center in San Diego, the Maryland Proton Therapy Center in Baltimore, the Rinecker Proton Therapy Center in Munich, and at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. Varian also has contracts for system installations at ten other sites around the world.
The ProBeam system with Dynamic Peak Scanning is uniquely capable of high-speed intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) which is the most precise form of proton therapy available.
For more information: www.varian.com
