NIRS Makes Progress in the 3rd Strategic Plan against Cancer

摘要

The medical community in recent years has seen great strides in radiology, especially for heavy particle beam- use treatment that utilizes proton and carbon ion beams. As of now, over twenty facilities around the globe are available for such treatment; in Japan, six of these facilities are to be found. In addition, based upon the recognition accorded by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to said treatment as "highly advanced medicine" in October 2003 there are plans to add more facilities to this number, which currently makes Japan the world recordholder as to the number of such facilities. Thus the focus is shifting from the clinical research to stage of making it a commonly-used treatment. STJ herewith provides an outline of "HIMAC" — facilities operated by the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) — this being the pioneering entity in Japan as to cancer treatment using heavy particles.