Centers of Hadron Therapy on the Basis of Cyclotrons

Hadron therapy hospital centers have become wide spread in the world during the last decade. These centers were created mainly on basis of the cycling accelerators such as cyclotrons and synchrotrons. Now there are several proposals of the proton centers on the basis of linear accelerators. In this report we discuss features, advantages and disadvantages of hadron therapy centers on the basis of cyclotron equipment. Both proton and carbon therapy techniques are considered in this report. It is proposed to construct a cyclotron-based proton therapy center in Dubna. The medical cyclotron for this center is to be constructed by JINR-IBA collaboration this year. The cyclotron beam test experiments are plan for 2009. After that the medical cyclotron could be used for the Dubna hospital center and contribute to promoting the proton therapy in the future Russian centers. INTRODUCTION There are about 2.3 million of tumor patients in Russia and 450 thousand of new patients appeared every year. The hadron therapy can be considerably effective for treating 50 thousand cancer patients per year in Russia. The existing Russian research centers of proton therapy provide cancer treatment only for 1 % of patients to whom this treatment is recommended. Dubna is one of the leading proton therapy research centers of the in Russia. The modern technique of 3D conformal proton radiotherapy was first effectuated in Russia in this center, and now it is effectively used in regular treatment sessions. A special Medico-Technical Complex was created at JINR on the basis of the synchrocyclotron (phasotron) used for proton treatment. About 100 patients undergo a course of fractionated treatment here every year. At present JINR in cooperation with Belgium firm IBA develops a dedicated medical cyclotron applied for the proton therapy. It is planned to complete its construction this year and to carry out beam tests in 2009. After that the accelerator could be installed in the Dubna hospital centre of proton therapy. The project of the Dubna center involves 3 treatment rooms with one gantry system. The design treatment capability of the center is 1000 patients per year. The JINR-IBA collaboration designed the C 400 superconducting cyclotron for the carbon therapy and IBA starts its construction. This first medical carbon cyclotron will be installed within the framework of the Archade project in Caen (France). JINR MEDICO-TECHNICAL COMPLEX The pioneering proton therapy researches began at JINR in 1967 [1]. The JINR Medico-Technical Complex (MTC) consists of 7 rooms, where proton, pion and neutron beams are used [1]. The research synchrocyclotron (Fig.1) with the proton energy of 660 MeV and current of 3 μA is used for medical applications. About 580 patients were treated at the JINR MTC by the proton beams. During the last years around 100 patients per year got the proton treatment there. The methodic of 3 D conformal proton radiotherapy was effectuated there, when the irradiated dose distribution coincidents with the tumor target shape with an accuracy of 1 mm [1]. This required solving the following tasks: formation and monitoring of proton beams with required parameters; development of the computer codes and a technique, for construction of individual collimators and boluses; development of a system for immobilization of the patient and verification of its position relative to the proton beam. The equipment used for 3D conformal therapy in room 1 is presented in Fig.2. Fig. 1 JINR synchrocyclotron applied for proton therapy. Fig.2 Room 1 of the JINR Medico-Technical Complex used for 3 D conformal proton therapy. 01 Accelerator Application To Medicine And Technology Proceedings of RuPAC 2008, Zvenigorod, Russia