Proton Therapy Highlights at ESTRO 2018 - Presentations

Proton therapy is considered to be one of the most advanced forms of radiation therapy. When investing in a technology that will last for over 30 years, the selection of the right partner is a crucial step in the buying process. During the ESTRO meeting, proton therapy practitioners shared their experience about securing, installing and operating a proton therapy center with IBA during open sessions on the IBA booth as well as at the IBA Symposium. Aiming to offer seamlessly integrated proton therapy solutions, IBA showcased the latest advances in its partnerships with the best leaders in radiation oncology at its booth.

EORTC and ESTRO collaboration to provide an effective data-sharing platform for particle therapy treatments

During the event, EORTC and ESTRO also announced a new collaboration to maximise the benefits of radiation oncology. The initiative aims to put in place a pan-European infrastructure for a more efficient framework across the field of radiation oncology by encouraging collaboration that will also involve other oncology disciplines, in order to generate robust data on its role in cancer treatment and to further develop and integrate the discipline into therapeutic strategies.

One of the projects in that collaboration concerns proton therapy with the aim to provide an effective data-sharing platform for particle therapy treatments. It aims to recruit all patients treated in proton therapy centres throughout Europe to provide this through, for example, a Europe-wide assessment of whether proton therapy leads to less clinical toxicity in treated patients. It is expected to be up and running in one year with approximately 2000 patients recruited in five years.

Read the press release of EORTC

IBA Proton Therapy Conference
On Saturday, April 21st, 2018, IBA hosted a symposium in Barcelona with presentations from experienced speakers in proton therapy:

• Professor Debus, from Heidelberg University Hospital, explained the benefits of proton therapy for key clinical indications; - presentation not available 
• The model based approach for patient selection was presented by Professor Langendijk from the University Medical Center in Groningen;
• Professor Depuydt, from ParTICLe Proton Therapy UZ Leuven, described the integration of proton therapy in an existing oncology center.

Click here to download the presentations.

Latest news from proton therapy practitioners
Securing the performance in proton therapy
After a fast installation of the Proteus®PLUS* solution by IBA, the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) Proton Therapy Center successfully treated the first patient in The Netherlands in January 2018 and announced the acceptance of the center’s second proton therapy room. Benefiting from a series of some of the world’s most advanced technology in proton therapy, the number of patients being treated at the center is ramping up quickly and will continue to rise with the additional treatment capacity.

Stefan Both, Professor & Head of Medical Physics at UMCG, shared his experience of UMCG’s path towards a SMART Proton Pencil Beam Scanning Clinic on the IBA's booth.

Securing the investment in proton therapy
On April 11th, 2018, following a record nine month installation program by IBA, Proton Partners International announced it has treated the first patient in the UK with high energy proton beam therapy. The first patient was treated on the Proteus®ONE* solution at Rutherford Cancer Centre in Newport, South Wales. The patients benefit from the latest Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) to adjust the depth and intensity of the beam to the shape of the tumor. Proteus®ONE solution includes Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) and Cone Beam CT (CBCT) capabilities making Proteus®ONE the only compact solution ready for adaptive treatment. Proton Partners International plans to build eight centers in the UK to provide a treatment center within 90 minutes of any patient’s home.

 John Pettingell, Chief Physicist & Head of Radiotherapy at the Rutherford Cancer Centres, described his experience in delivering the UKs first high energy proton therapy service on the IBA’s booth.

Click here to download the presentations.

Partnering with key market leaders in radiation oncology for optimal healthcare solutions
Following its open integration approach, IBA will showcase multiple workflow solutions to integrate proton therapy in the clinic.

IBA offers perfect integration with Elekta’s MOSAIQ® oncology information system that will be demonstrated at IBA’s booth. IBA and Elekta have signed a memorandum of understanding in order to develop, among others, new functionalities for proton therapy treatment in Elekta’s Monaco® treatment planning system and MOSAIQ® oncology information system and provide clinical pathway-driven adaptive particle therapy. The purpose is to offer a seamless experience across modalities for comprehensive radiotherapy departments and further improve patient care.

IBA is in a long-term strategic collaboration with Philips. By combining their respective expertise in image guidance and therapy, Philips and IBA continue to co-innovate in diagnostic and therapeutic oncology solutions with the ultimate objective of enabling more effective and personalized cancer care. Proton Partners International chose to partner with IBA and Philips in an ambitious plan to build a network of state-of-the-art proton therapy centers in the UK, and in the Middle East. All centers will integrate IBA’s latest Image Guided IMPT combined with Philips’ Pinnacle3 Treatment Planning System, as well as Philips’ Big Bore CT, and Philips’ Ambient Experience, a patient-focused healthcare environment designed to create a more comfortable and soothing experience for patients and staff.

IBA is partnering with RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) to advance adaptive proton therapy in combining respective technologies. In both RayStation® and RayCare**, as well as in the IBA delivery solutions, combined features dedicated software interfaces allow for seamless workflow integration with optimized performance. A real-time demonstration will be displayed at IBA’s booth.

DISCLAIMER
All care has been taken to ensure that the information contained herein is correct, however, no responsibility or liability   whatsoever can be assumed by IBA in regard of this information.  Opinions expressed are exclusively those of the experts and scientists cited; these do not necessarily represent the opinion of IBA. The information is provided as an information resource for professionals only and is not a substitute for professional  medical advice and care; it shall and may not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. We strongly recommend to always seek the professional advice of qualified health care providers for any questions you might have in regard of the subject matter hereof. (c) ION BEAM APPLICATIONS, SA 2018