Recent Technology for Heavy Ion Radiotherapy

The technology of heavy ion radiotherapy (HI-RT) become established during over 40 years of experiences. The clinical results of HI-RT, obtained through scientific protocols and evaluations, have clearly demonstrated its advantages. At present, ten facilities are operating and eight are under commissioning or construction worldwide. All facilities utilize carbon ions. The typical energy and intensity of the carbon beam are 100 - 430 MeV/u and 1E8 - 1E9 particle per second, respectively. HI-RT was approved to be covered by the National Health Insurance of Japan in 2016. In April 2018, fees for treatments in Japan were revised to 1,600,000 Yen for 'prostate tumors' and 2,375,000 Yen for 'head and neck tumors' as well as 'bone and soft tissue tumors', respectively. The expectation of widespread use has accelerated sharply.