Why and How Does Physics Apply in Proton Therapy
for Cancer Treatment

Chien-Yi Yeh^1*

¹Proton and Radiation Therapy Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Lin-kou, Taoyuan, Taiwan

* Presenter:Chien-Yi Yeh, email:cyyeh@ms12.hinet.net

Physics can be easily found in a variety of areas of medicine. High energy particle therapy has been a long history since a 1st patient treated with protons at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in 1954. Along with the technology development in particle accelerator, the 1st hospital based proton facility was built at Loma Linda Medical Center, US in 1990. Till now, 69 proton centers in hospital had been operated all over the world. In Taiwan, Chang Gung Memorial hospital at Lin-kou was the first large scale of cyclotron based proton facility with four rotational gantry rooms for clinic service since 2015, Nov. More than 1500 patients with variety type of tumor had been treated with proton therapy in CGMH. Protons can be successfully used in clinic due to accelerators being available, maximum radiation dose into the tumor and in the meantime sparing of normal tissues.
In this lecture, the principle of proton therapy and beam delivery technique will be introduced. Clinical treatment results in some specific cancer, such as liver cancer and head & neck cancer, will be demonstrated. The role and personnel training of medical physicist in proton therapy will be discussed. Finally, the proton and heavy particle facilities under construction or in planning stage in Taiwan will be reviewed.

Keywords: Proton Therapy, Particle accelerator, Medical physicist