What Is Heavy Ion (Carbon Ion) Therapy? Which Cancers Does It Treat?
What is iPSC? Learn in which cancers heavy ion (carbon ion) therapy may be considered, its possible advantages, and who may be suitable.
Heavy ion (carbon ion) therapy is the most advanced form of particle irradiation. After entering the body, carbon ions release most of their energy at exactly the targeted depth (the Bragg peak); healthy tissue in front of and behind the tumor receives almost no dose. Carbon's biological effectiveness is 2-3 times higher than conventional radiotherapy — making it effective even in radioresistant tumors.
Where does it stand out? Prostate cancer, head & neck tumors, lung, liver and pancreatic tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and recurrent tumors.
Japan's edge: the world's first heavy ion center, QST (Chiba), has treated more than 12,000 patients since 1994. The number of centers in Japan equals roughly half of the world total. In published series, the 5-year local control rate in prostate cancer exceeds 95%.
For an eligibility assessment, upload your reports via our patient panel; the Japanese expert board evaluates them within 5 business days.