[en] The primary objectives of the clinical radiotherapy program are: to evaluate the potential of improved dose localization particularly as exemplified by helium ion irradiation; and to evaluate the combined potential of improved dose localization and increased biologic effect available with heavier ions such as carbon, neon, and argon. It was possible to make modifications rapidly to provide for large field, fractionated, Bragg peak irradiation at the 184-inch cyclotron with the helium ion beam. This allowed the opportunity to gain experience with charged particle irradiation treatment techniques, patient immobilization techniques, treatment planning and dosimetry studies including the utilization of CT scanning for tumor localization and charged particle dose distributions as well as beginning studies in compensating for tissue inhomogeneities in the beam path. These treatment techniques have been directly transferable to the Bevalac facility where a similar patient positioner has been installed for human irradiation with heavier particles. For the studies both with helium and now with heavier particles, patients with multiple skin and subcutaneous metastatic nodules for evaluation of skin RBE data and patients with locally advanced and/or unresectable tumors unlikely to be effectively treated by any conventional modality were sought. In order to facilitate intercomparison with megavoltage irradiation techniques, a conventional dose fractionation scheme has been adopted. A few exceptions to this dose specification scheme have been patients in which pulmonary, subcutaneous or skin nodules have been irradiated with larger fraction sizes ranging up to 400 rads per fraction in order to obtain clinical RBE studies in 8 to 10 fractions of heavy particles