Proton beam therapy at Shizuoka Cancer Center

Initial experience in a newly established proton therapy unit is presented to overview the facility. Proton therapy takes advantage of the relatively large mass and positive charge of protons that provide the physical characteristics of Bragg peak over other conformal radiation therapies. Sixteen patients with intracranial or skull base tumors were treated with protons at Shizuoka Cancer Center since January 2004. Three of 16 were under 15 (6 to 15) years of age one patient with pontine glioma, two with sarcomas. The treatment was well tolerated. We believe that proton therapy is especially beneficial for children with tumors surrounded by the developing brain reducing the potential risks for long-term morbidity. (author)