Providing Patients With More Precise Treatment, Taichung Veterans General Hospital And China Medical University Hospital Are Investing 3 Billion NT Dollars to Establish a Proton Therapy Center
Providing Patients With More Precise Treatment, Taichung Veterans General Hospital And China Medical University Hospital Are Investing 3 Billion NT Dollars to Establish a Proton Therapy Center
To allow patients in central Taiwan to receive proton therapy more conveniently, China Medical University Hospital and Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) are both heavily investing in the construction of a proton therapy center. TCVGH held a grand groundbreaking ceremony on the 27th, aiming for completion by the end of 2025. The facility will have two treatment rooms, capable of treating 50 to 70 patients daily. Taichung City Deputy Mayor Yu-Min Wang referred to this as the best New Year's gift.
Compared to photon therapy, proton therapy can penetrate treatment areas more deeply, with a biological effect twice that of photons, providing better efficacy and precision while reducing radiation doses and side effects on normal tissues. Central Taiwan celebrity and former legislator Chin-Piao Yen underwent proton therapy for liver cancer at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung in 2020, followed by a successful liver transplant. This success prompted China Medical University Hospital and Taichung Veterans General Hospital to actively apply to the Ministry of Health and Welfare for the construction of a proton therapy center. China Medical University Hospital is currently in the acceptance stage.
On the 27th, TCVGH held a grand groundbreaking ceremony for the proton therapy center, with the ceremony jointly hosted by Veterans Affairs Council Chairman Shih-Kuan Feng, Atomic Energy Council Chairman Dong-Yang Chen, Taichung City Deputy Mayor Yu-Min Wang, and Superintendent Shih-Ann Chen. Yu- Min Wang explicitly called it the best New Year's gift for the people of central Taiwan.
Superintendent Shih-Ann Chen pointed out that the center is budgeted at 3 billion NT dollars, with an estimated construction period of 18 months. Dr. Wei-Chiang Yu, Chief of the Radiation Oncology Department at TCVGH, mentioned that TCVGH has chosen the latest Cybeam superconductive proton system from Japan's Sumitomo Corporation for the proton center. This system is known for its compact size and low energy consumption, not only saving space but also demonstrating significant environmental friendliness. Additionally, its treatment speed is three times that of traditional equipment. With an average monthly increase of 200 cancer patients requiring radiation therapy, TCVGH will have two treatment rooms in operation after the proton therapy center is commissioned, serving 50 to 70 patients daily.
Source material: https://www.chinatimes.com/realtimenews/20231227004495-260405?chdtv