Proton therapy is a leading-edge external beam treatment in radiation oncology, where protons are used to irradiate cancer or other diseased tissue. The primary advantage compared to other external beam therapy modalities is the precise localization of the radiation dose. This helps spare healthy tissue, reducing side effects and the risk of secondary tumors. Although the number of centers offering proton therapy is still limited, there is potential for tremendous growth: the global proton therapy market is expected to grow to up to 1,800 particle therapy treatment rooms by 2030¹ Philips and radiotherapy equipment company IBA have joined forces to bring proton therapy to hospitals worldwide

Many hospitals are not equipped yet for proton therapy. Deciding to add a completely new treatment modality to your hospital’s services is not simple. The Philips and IBA solution, however, can simplify the decision process. IBA is a world leader in radiotherapy solutions and Philips in high-quality diagnostics. Both are working towards the same goal of improving the quality of patients’  lives. Their combined effort aims to leverage proton therapy accuracy and high quality imaging (Advanced MRI, PET and CT imaging) with the aim of increasing confidence in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, reducing short- and long-term side-effects and enhancing the quality of life of the patient before, during and after treatment. 

 

The joint proton center solution – including Ambient Experience to make patients feel more at ease during treatment – is already being installed in a variety of hospitals around the world.

 

For hospitals looking into proton therapy, this not only gives them access to this growing market of patients, it does so with  exceptional imaging and treatment solutions. 

Cutting-edge solutions for proton therapy

 

Together, Philips and IBA offer a full range of innovative oncology solutions, advancing clinical capability. These include:

 

• CT: The Philips IQon features the world’s first spectral detector CT.

 

• PET/CT: The Philips Vereos is the first digital whole body PET/CT system, the next level in molecular imaging. The Ingenuity TF PET/CT has excellent contrast and spatial resolution, enhancing lesion detectability.

 

• MR: As the first digital MR system, Philips Ingenia (1.5T and 3.0T) with its revolutionary dStream architecture delivers accelerated performance with digital clarity and speed.

 

• ProteusONE: IBA’s compact single-room proton therapy solution can be easily installed into many kinds of healthcare settings. ProteusONE delivers the latest advance in proton radiation therapy, Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) – combining the precise dose delivery of Pencil Beam Scanning (PBS) with the dimensionally accurate imaging of 3D Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), enabling physicians to truly track where protons will be targeting tumor cells.

 

• An excellent patient experience: Cancer patients are submited to multiple diagnostic and treatment procedures with an understandable level of fear An environment designed with the patient at the center can make a real difference in their experience and state of mind. Philips Ambient Experience technology transforms imaging and treatment suites into soothing, entertaining and even educational spaces.

 

• Planning tools: Planning plays a central role in influencing treatment confidence as well as departmental workflow. Delivering sophisticated treatment techniques that are both efficient and reliable can be challenging. Philips Pinnacle³ treatment planning software is a suite of simple, intuitive tools to plan the most sophisticated oncology treatment.

 

• IntelliSpace Portal: Philips IntelliSpace Portal combines high-quality images, advanced analysis, and workflow efficiency tools into a single advanced analysis solution. In addition, the Portal’s Multimodality Tumor Tracking helps clinicians evaluate change in tumor activity or size over time to determine treatment effectiveness or assist with diagnosis and tumor staging.