Work Starts on Belgium's First Proton Therapy Center

May 5, 2017 — IBA announced that building works have begun on the Proton Therapy Center ParTICLe – Belgium’s first center for proton therapy. ParTICLe, short for Particle Therapy Interuniversity Center Leuven, is a clinical and scientific collaboration between five university hospitals.

Currently, Belgian patients eligible for proton therapy have to travel abroad for treatment; usually to Germany, Switzerland or France. It is expected that Belgian patients will now be able to receive proton therapy in their home country by mid-2019.

The new center will utilize IBA’s Proteus One compact intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) system, which is smaller, more affordable, and easier to install and operate.

Prof. Karin Haustermans, head of the Department of Radiation Oncology in UZ Leuven, said "Despite the enormous technical advances in radiation for cancer treatment, we still see too many patients who relapse or have permanent side effects. Sometimes when healthy radiation-sensitive tissues are too close to the tumor; it is almost impossible to irradiate them without compromising the quality of life of the patient. Proton therapy provides more protection to healthy tissue, and reduces the risk of secondary cancer caused by the radiation itself."

For more information: www.iba-worldwide.com