RaySearch enters agreement with Sumitomo for boron neutron capture therapy

20 November 2017 – RaySearch and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Sumitomo), based in Tokyo, Japan, have entered into an agreement regarding treatment planning for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) – a unique type of radiation therapy that targets cancer at the cellular level. The agreement extends the existing cooperation between Sumitomo and RaySearch on proton therapy.

Sumitomo has developed the world’s first accelerator-based clinical BNCT system and is conducting clinical trials regarding recurrent head-and-neck and brain cancers in Japan.  Treatment planning is an essential aspect of BNCT, and Sumitomo selected RayStation because of its advanced capabilities and usability. 

Under the agreement, RayStation’s functionality will be extended to support BNCT planning requirements*. BNCT will be an additional treatment modality in RayStation, alongside the existing options for photon, electron, proton, and carbon ion therapy. Users of BNCT will have access to the full range of advanced functionality in RayStation, including atlas-based segmentation, deformable image registration and scripting. 

BNCT is a promising radiation therapy technique based on a two-step process. First, the patient is injected with a tumor-localizing drug containing the non-radioactive isotope boron-10. In the second step, the target area is exposed to a beam of low-energy neutrons, many of which are absorbed by the boron-10. The absorption initiates a reaction in which short-range, high-energy charged particles are emitted. These particles systematically destroy the tumor cells, with minimal damage to adjacent healthy tissue.

Tetsuya Okamura, Senior Vice President and General Manager Industrial Equipment Division at Sumitomo, says: “We are very pleased to work with RaySearch in developing future technologies such as BNCT.  This is an emerging treatment method, and there is still a long way to go, but I believe our collaboration will accelerate commercialization of the modality and provide great benefits for cancer patients and hospitals.”

Johan Löf, CEO of RaySearch, says: “RaySearch is committed to supporting cutting-edge techniques and approaches that have the potential to improve cancer treatment. This agreement presents exciting new possibilities, and we look forward to exploring the clinical possibilities of BNCT together with Sumitomo.”

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Miami Cancer Institute awarded cancer research and education grant by IBA

RESTON, VA, 17 November 2017 – IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA), the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, today announced that the company will collaborate with Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Hospital of Miami to develop a significant cancer research and education program. The grant is earmarked to further proton therapy research and education by helping pave the way for broader clinical indications of proton therapy. It will also promote physics, dosimetry, preclinical and clinical research approaches to enhance the effectiveness of this cancer treatment being offered for the very first time in South Florida.

Miami Cancer Institute is equipped with the most comprehensive suite of advanced radiotherapy equipment highlighted by the state-of-the-art IBA Proteus®PLUS solution equipped with a three-gantry, beam matched configuration using a dual-spot, robotic couch and pencil beam scanning delivery technique that is guided by surface and Cone-beam CT imaging. The proton therapy center will be the first in South Florida with extensive reach to the Caribbean, Latin America and beyond. The $430 million Institute also provides a world-class array of advanced radiation therapy treatment options including Gamma Knife radiosurgery, CyberKnife stereotactic radiation therapy, tomotherapy and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), brachytherapy, MR guided linac-based radiation therapy, GRID therapy, and radioisotope therapy. Miami Cancer Institute is one of the only cancer centers in the world to offer all of the latest radiation therapy modalities under one roof. Additionally, Miami Cancer Institute clinical research trials and personalized genomic/molecular medicine are all delivered in a highly sophisticated, patient-friendly environment with the highest quality clinical standards as established with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance.

“We are honored to partner with this esteemed cancer facility on furthering research focused on advancing proton therapy treatment for cancer patients.”shared Beth Klein, President IBA North America. “We support the vision and direction of Dr. Minesh Mehta, M.D., Deputy Director of the Miami Cancer Institute, Chief of Radiation Oncology for Baptist Health, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Florida International University, to establish Miami Cancer Institute as a world class center for research and education in proton therapy with the goal to provide better outcomes for cancer patients. We look forward to the significant contributions Dr. Mehta and his team will make to proton therapy and patient treatments.”

Nicolas Bronchart, Executive Vice President of R&D, commented, ”Dr.Mehta has pulled together a world-class team of clinicians and medical physicists that will deliver his vision of establishing Miami Cancer Institute as a center for some of the most advanced cancer radiation therapy options. Our work together at Miami Cancer Institute will not only benefit the patients of South Florida but will potentially impact how cancer is treated throughout the world.”

Dr. Mehta stated: “Because Baptist Hospital and Miami Cancer Institute have committed major resources to the enhancement of comprehensive cancer care and research in the region, we have been very successful in attracting the best and most highly qualified individuals from around the world to participate in this exciting program which can be best characterized as having an optimal balance between the highest quality cancer care and cutting-edge research. This major research and educational grant further enhances this critical mission of ours.”

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