Superconducting Cyclotron Enables Year-Round Proton Treatments

The new cyclotron from Varian Medical Systems' (Palo Alto, CA, USA) Accel group is a major component of the equipment and is expected to facilitate more accurate treatments with fewer side effects at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI; Villigen, Switzerland). Two patients with chordomas (bone tumors in the spinal region) were the first to be treated using protons generated by the new 250 MeV cyclotron, which is designed for high-efficiency, low-energy consumption, high reliability, and modern treatment features such as spot scanning, enabling highly effective proton dose distribution in three dimensions, and beam-intensity modulation.

The Varian/Accel superconducting cyclotron represents a dedicated proton source for the PSI equipment, with beam-lines to supply up to 250 MeV protons to the spot-scanning gantry for deep-seated tumor treatments.
PSI operates the world's first and only compact scanning gantry for proton radiation therapy of deep-seated tumors.

The spot-scanning technique developed at PSI enables malignant tumors to be targeted with high precision deep inside in the body, and their growth successfully stopped, without damaging healthy tissue around the target area. Protons have excellent physical properties for radiation therapy, which enable clinicians to precisely control the shape of the dose distribution inside the patient's body. The depth of the proton beam can be precisely controlled, which means healthy tissue behind the tumor can be spared as effectively as adjacent tissue.

The new cyclotron would allow the institute's proton therapy facility to operate all year rather than being limited to just six-eight months, as was the case with the department's previous equipment. The Varian/Accel superconducting cyclotron, degrader, beam line, and gantries will enable PSI to maintain and enhance its international reputation as a unique high-tech laboratory for advanced proton therapy as well as a leading clinical proton therapy research center.


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