Carbon Ion Radiotherapy @

At GSI an experimental therapy unit for heavy ion cancer treatment has been constructed in collaboration with the

German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ)	Forschungszentrum Rossendorf	Radiological University Hospital (Heidelberg)

Beams of fast ions like carbon represent the most advanced tool for radiotherapy of deep seated tumors. They combine an excellent physical depth-dose profile (Bragg curve) with an increased relative biological efficiency (RBE) in the target volume. The rasterscan device developed at GSI allows to deliver the dose in arbitrarily shaped target volumes with reduced damage in the healthy tissue. Computerized treatment planning includes physical and radiobiological data obtained at GSI. The positron emission tomography (PET) allows an in vivo dose verification.

Tumours eligible for carbon ion radiotherapy so far are:

• skull base tumours:
  • chordoma
  • chondrosarcoma
  • mal. schwannoma
  • atyp. meningeoma
  • adenoidcystic ca.
• tumours close to the spinal chord:
  • sacral chordoma
  • chondrosarcoma
  • soft tissue sarcoma

• rapidly growing tumours
• metastasising tumours
• by law: children under 18

GSI is in charge of the

• Physical beam model
  
  
• Radiobiological model
  
  
• Beam delivery and raster scan system
  
  
• Online control and safety system
  
  
• Development of 3D conformal treatment planning
  
  

Status

Future developments

For more info on the dedicated clinical ion facility now under construction click here

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Therapy related publications

Last update: January 29th 2003, M.Kraemer@gsi.de, Design: Marcus Winter, M.Winter@gsi.de