Paul Scherrer Institute - Proton Therapy Program

Proton Therapy Program

Since 1984 PSI operates the OPTIS facility for treatment of eye tumours. It was the first such installation in Western Europe, developed by PSI physisists. In close cooperation with the 'Hôpital Opthalmique' of the University of Lausanne by March 2008 nearly 5000 patients have been treated at PSI with this unique method, in which a proton beam is directed accurately onto the eye tumour.

Since 1996 PSI operates also the only compact scanning-Gantry worldwide for proton radiation therapy of deep-seated tumours. The spot-scanning technique developed at PSI enables malignant tumours to be targeted with high precision deep inside in the body, and their growth successfully stopped, without damaging healthy tissue around the target area. By March 2008 320 patients have been treated at the Gantry 1, suffering from brain, head and neck, skull-base, spinal cord or abdominal tumours.

The excellent and promising results of patient treatment have led to the (Project PROSCAN) with the objectives to install a dedicated and compact superconducting proton accelerator and to develop a new Gantry (Gantry 2) with advanced 2-dimensional and fast parallel scanning features. The new compact superconducting cyclotron is in operation since February 2007. The Gantry 2 is under construction and first beam to the isocenter ist planned for May 2008. Patient treatment at Gantry 2 will start first half of 2009.

The goals of these developments are to increase radiation precision of even moving tumours and to transfer the knowledge and proton therapy technology into hospital-based projects.

With the expansion of the facility, PSI will be able to strengthen the clinical research program and to treat more than 500 patients per year, including those with eye tumours.