Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, 13 August 2018 - IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, and CYCLHAD (a CYCLotron for HADron Therapy), are pleased to announce that the first patients have been treated with proton therapy by the medical team from Centre François Baclesse at the CYCLHAD Centre in Caen, France. The patients (both with brain tumours) started proton therapy, a treatment that helps to preserve the surrounding healthy tissues, on 31 July 2018.

The treatments are being delivered using the Proteus®ONE solution at the CYCLHAD Centre. This single room solution has been installed within 12 months by IBA. Proteus®ONE is the only truly compact Image Guided Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IG-IMPT) solution in the industry. It has a unique open gantry environment designed to ease the work of radiation therapists during the treatment workflow and optimize the patient experience by providing a comfortable and calming environment. Its compact design makes it easy to install, operate, and finance. The CYCLHAD Centre, in Caen, is the third center in France being equipped with a proton therapy treatment room. In the future, the center will be able to treat up to 30 patients per day with this advanced technology.

IBA is actively preparing the second phase of the center’s development, in which it will collaborate with several French industrial partners and semi-public institutions, to develop the potential of carbon beam therapy. Carbon ions have the same physical characteristics as protons, but have the added advantage of being particularly effective for the treatment of radiation-resistant tumours. Within this collaboration, IBA will provide support and expertise for the development of a prototype carbon therapy system based on an advanced 400 MeV (megaelectron-volts) superconducting isochronous cyclotron, which is able to accelerate carbon ions used in hadron therapy.
Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer at IBA,commented: “We are delighted that the first treatments were delivered successfully in Caen. This reinforces IBA’s position as the fastest proton therapy provider, from contract signature to the treatment of patients. Thanks to the agreements settled with several French institutions, the next phase of development of the center will enable IBA, alongside CYCLHAD, to continue its commitment towards providing the next generation of cancer therapy techniques and personalized patient care.”

Rad Oncology Homepage