IBA installs cyclotron at first proton therapy center in Belgium

Louvain-la-Neuve, 25 April, 2018 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, and UZ Leuven, today announce the installation of the first proton therapy units at the University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven). This is the first phase of installation of the IBA Proteus®ONE system, the most advanced proton therapy technology. This proton therapy center, the first to be installed in Belgium, is scheduled to begin treating patients in the second half of 2019.

Arriving from the nearby IBA headquarters in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, the installation of the 55-ton synchrocyclotron was completed this morning at UZ Leuven’s Gasthuisberg campus. The new cyclotron is part of a new generation system that is smaller and more affordable than other proton therapy systems. The leading edge single room Proteus®ONE system includes advanced robotics, integrated imaging, and control systems.

Proton therapy is considered to be the most advanced form of radiotherapy in the fight against cancer. The unique dose deposition that proton therapy offers enables the tumor to be targeted more effectively than other treatments. Compared to photon radiotherapy, protons deposit almost all their energy within a controlled zone and in the vast majority of cases, limit the amount of the dose deposited in the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. The use of protons consequently offers the potential to reduce the secondary effects of the treatment.

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA, commented: “We are delighted to start the installation of the first proton therapy center in Belgium. We are proud that our innovative technology is being deployed so close to our headquarters and that our high-quality cancer treatment will now be available for cancer patients in Belgium. We look forward to collaborating with the consortium of leading university hospitals on this project.”

Marc Decramer, Chief Executive Officer of UZ Leuven commented:“We are excited to see the heart of our proton therapy center delivered. Today, Belgian patients eligible for proton therapy have to go abroad to be treated. By the second half of 2019, the first patients will be able to receive treatment in the Particle Therapy Interuniversity Center Leuven (ParTICLe).

Source: IBA official website