Asan Medical Center, which treats 1.06 million cancer patients a year, has begun full-scale construction of a carbon ion therapy center to strengthen its capabilities in treating hard-to-cure cancers.
With operations targeted for 2031, the plan is to build the country's largest carbon ion therapy center and introduce a multi–ion beam therapy system that uses not only carbon ions but also helium, neon and oxygen.
Asan Medical Center held a groundbreaking ceremony for the carbon ion therapy center on the 11th. The event was attended by Chung Mong-joon, chair of the Asan Foundation, Park Seong-uk, president and CEO of Asan Medical Center, Park Seung-il, president of Asan Medical Center, and Song Si-yeol, head of the Carbon Ion Promotion Team.
The carbon ion therapy center will have a total floor area of 39,502 square meters (about 11,949 pyeong) and be built with three underground floors and nine above-ground floors. It will be the largest among carbon ion therapy centers in Korea.
Inside, two rotating gantry treatment systems and one fixed-beam treatment system manufactured by Japan's Toshiba, among the highest-spec equipment, will be installed. Construction will be carried out by IPARK Hyundai Development Company, and construction management will be handled by HanmiGlobal.
Carbon ion therapy is a form of radiation therapy that accelerates heavy ions such as carbon to near the speed of light and precisely irradiates cancer cells. It is called the "dream cancer treatment" because it has greater cancer cell–destroying power than conventional radiation therapy while minimizing damage to normal tissue. It is considered to have high potential for use in hard-to-treat cancers where conventional treatment is difficult, such as pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, sarcoma, kidney cancer and recurrent cancers.
The equipment Asan Medical Center is introducing has a wider irradiation field and a higher dose rate than existing carbon ion therapy systems, enabling treatment of large areas in a short time. The hospital said it can reduce the treatment burden on patients while improving treatment efficiency.
In particular, it will build a multi–ion beam therapy system that uses a variety of particles, including helium, neon and oxygen, in addition to carbon ions. The hospital said this will enable personalized treatment tailored to tumor characteristics and expand the scope of use to cancers with strong radioresistance and pediatric cancers.
A CT-based image-guided system will also be applied during treatment. The plan is to reflect changes in tumor location and size during treatment in near real time to increase precision and deliver patient-specific treatment.
One in eight cancer patients in Korea receives treatment at this hospital. Hospital officials predicted that once the carbon ion therapy center is operational, it will expand options for treating hard-to-cure cancers while providing an opportunity to raise the level of cancer treatment in Korea.
Chung Mong-joon, chair of the Asan Foundation, said, "Unlike in 1977, when founder Chung Ju-yung established the Asan Foundation, the 'doctorless villages' have virtually disappeared today, but there are still many patients suffering from intractable diseases," and added, "I believe that introducing the carbon ion therapy system, which will offer hope to patients with hard-to-cure cancers waiting for new treatment opportunities, carries on the will of the founder."
Park Seung-il, president of Asan Medical Center, said, "Carbon ion therapy is one of the most effective treatments among radiation therapies," and noted, "Despite the need for long-term construction and large-scale investment, we decided to introduce it to provide top-tier cancer treatment." He added, "We expect this will not only improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients but also serve as an important opportunity to further strengthen Asan Medical Center's international competitiveness."