Evolution of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan

Osama Mohamad; Hirokazu Makishima; Tadashi Kamada

doi:10.3390/cancers10030066

Evolution of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan

Cancers (Basel). 2018 Mar 6;10(3):66. doi: 10.3390/cancers10030066.

Authors

Osama Mohamad^{1

2}, Hirokazu Makishima³, Tadashi Kamada⁴

Affiliations

¹ Hospital of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan. Osama.mohamad@utsouthwestern.edu.
² Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center, 2280 Inwood Rd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA. Osama.mohamad@utsouthwestern.edu.
³ Hospital of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan. makishima.hirokazu@qst.go.jp.
⁴ Hospital of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan. Kamada.Tadashi@qst.go.jp.

Abstract

Charged particles can achieve better dose distribution and higher biological effectiveness compared to photon radiotherapy. Carbon ions are considered an optimal candidate for cancer treatment using particles. The National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Chiba, Japan was the first radiotherapy hospital dedicated for carbon ion treatments in the world. Since its establishment in 1994, the NIRS has pioneered this therapy with more than 69 clinical trials so far, and hundreds of ancillary projects in physics and radiobiology. In this review, we will discuss the evolution of carbon ion radiotherapy at the NIRS and some of the current and future projects in the field.

Keywords: CIRT; NIRS; National Institute of Radiological Sciences; carbon ion radiotherapy; particle therapy.

Publication types

Review