Summary
The 200 MeV cyclotron facility at the National Accelerator Centre has been operational since 1987. Between September 1988 and December 1997 a total of 973 patients (26,916 fields) had been treated on the 66 MeV p+Be isocentric neutron therapy system. Patients are currently being treated according to several protocols, including tumors of the head and neck, salivary gland and breast and soft tissue sarcomas, uterine sarcomas and paranasal sinuses. A multiblade post-collimator trimmer has recently being installed. This device procides improved neutron beam shaping capability. Between September 1993 and December 1997 a total of 243 patients (4008 fields) had been treated (mainly intracranial stereotactic irradiations) on the fixed horizontal 200 MeV proton therapy facility. The facility incorporates an innovative automatic patient positioning system. Two new fixed beam lines for proton therapy are presently being designed (horizontal and 30° to the vertical) for an existing unused treatment vault. Spot scanning systems will be developed for both beam lines.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Botha AH, Jungwirth HN, Kritzinger JJ, et al. Commissioning of the NAC separated-sector cyclotron. In Sekiguchi M, Yano Y, Hatanaka K, Eds. Proc 11th Int Conf on Cyclotrons and their Applications. Tokyo: Ionics Publishing Co Ltd, 1987;9–16.
Jones DTL, Symons JE, Fulcher TJ, et al. Neutron fluence and kerma spectra of a p(66)/Be(40) clinical source. Med Phys 1992;19:1285–91.
Jones DTL. Proposed medical applications of the National Accelerator Centre facilities. S Afr J Sci 1992;72:149–53.
Jones DTL. Progress with the 200 MeV cyclotron facility at the National Accelerator Centre. In Schraube H, Burger G, Booz J, Eds. Proc. 5th Symp on Neutron Dosimetry. EUR 9762 EN, Vol II. Luxembourg: Commission of the European Communities, 1984;989–98.
Jones DTL, Yudelev M, Hendrikse WLJ. Physical characteristics of the South Africa high-energy neutron therapy facility. Radiat Prot Dosim 1988;23:365–8.
Jones DTL. Particles for patients. Nuclear Active 1989;40:30–6.
Jones DTL, Schreuder AN, Symons JE, et al. The NAC particle therapy facilities. In Amaldi U, Larsson B, Eds. Hadrontherapy in Oncology. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers BV, 1994;307–28.
Jones DTL. NAC — the only proton therapy facility in the Southern Hemisphere. In Linz U, Ed. Ion Beams in Tumor Therapy. Weinheim, Germany: Chapman and Hall, 1995;350–9.
Jones DTL, Schreuder AN, Symons JE, et. al. Use of stereophotogrammetry in proton radiation therapy. In R_ther H, Ed. Proc. Int. FIG. Symp. on Photogrammetry in Engineering Surverying. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town, 1995;138–53.
Jones DTL, Schreuder AN, Symons JE. Particle therapy at NAC: physical aspects. In Cornell J, Ed. Proc 14th Int Conf on Cyclotrons and their Applications. Singapore: World Scientific, 1995:491–8.
Jones DTL, Schreuder AN, Symons, JE, et al. Experimental investigations of a multiblade trimmer for neutron therapy. J Brachyther Int’l 1997;13:59–66.
Koehler AM, Schneider RJ, Sisterson JM, Range modulators for protons and heavy ions. Nucl Instr Methods 1995;131:437–40.
Koehler AM, Schneider RJ, Sisterson JM. Flattening of proton dose distributions for large-field radiotherapy. Med Phys 1977;4:297–301.
Schreuder AN, Jones DTL, Symons JE, et al. The NAC proton beam delivery system. In Cornell J, Ed. Proc. 14th Int. Conf. on Cyclotrons and their Applications. Singapore: World Scientific, 1996;523–6.
Stannard CE, Vernimmen FJ, Jones DTL, et al. Neutron therapy program at the National Accelerator Centre, South Africa: preliminary results. Radiat Oncol Invest 1995;2:245–55.
Stannard CE, Vernimmen FJ, Jones DTL, et al. The neutron Therapy clinical programme at the National Accelerator Centre (NAC). Bull du Cancer/Radiother 1996;83(Suppl 1):87s-92s.
Van Wijk AL, Stannard CE, Levin CV, et al. Neutron irradiation of uterine sarcomas. Radiat Oncol Invest 1996;4:725–80.
Vernimmen FJ. Proton Therapy. In Cornell J, Ed. National Accelerator Centre Annual Report, March 1996. Faure, South Africa: National Accelerator Centre, 1996;113–5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jones, D.T.L., Schreuder, A.N., Symons, J.E. et al. Status report of the NAC particle therapy programme. Strahlenther Onkol 175 (Suppl 2), 30–32 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03038883
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03038883