title: Clinical Results of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy at NIRS.
abstract: In 1994 a Phase I/II clinical study on carbon ion radiotherapy was begun at NIRS using HIMAC, which was then the world's only heavy ion accelerator complex dedicated to medical use in a hospital environment. Among several types of ion species, we have chosen carbon ions for cancer therapy because they had the most optimal properties in terms of possessing, both physically and biologically, the most effective dose-localization in the body. The purpose of the clinical study was to investigate the efficacy of carbon ion radiotherapy against a variety of tumors as well as to develop effective techniques for delivering an efficient dose to the tumor. The RBE of carbon ions was estimated to be 2.0 to 3.0 along the SOBP for acute skin reactions. As of August 2006, a total of 2,867 patients had been entered into Phase I/II or Phase II studies and analyzed for toxicity and local tumor response. The results have shown that carbon ion radiotherapy has the potential ability to provide a sufficient dose to the tumor with acceptable morbidity in the surrounding normal tissues. Tumors that appear to respond favorably to carbon ions include locally advanced tumors and those with histologically non-squamous cell type of tumors such as adenocarcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, malignant melanoma, hepatoma, and bone/soft tissue sarcoma. By taking advantage of the biological and physical properties of high-LET radiation, the efficacy of treatment regimens with small fractions in short treatment times has been confirmed for almost all types of tumors in carbon ion radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Charged Particle Therapy, National Institute of Radiological Sciences.
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsujii
authors.forename: Junetsu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mizoe
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kamada
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagi
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kagei
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Ryusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugane
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamaki
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kandatsu
authors.forename: Kyosan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Riwa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D063193:Heavy Ion Radiotherapy; D020450:Heavy Ions; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon