Proton therapy has officially launched as an available source of care within Dutch society following its use this week in treating, for the first time, a cancer patient in The Netherlands.

Radiologists at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) Proton Therapy Center treated the patient Monday, January 24, using IBA’s Proteus Plus system within 13 months of its installation.

“We are proud that the UMCG is now the first to deliver proton therapy treatment to patients,” Prof. Dr. J.A. Hans Langendijk, the chair of the department of radiation oncology at UMCG Proton Therapy Center, said in a statement. “IBA has one of the most advanced proton therapy technologies on the market and has demonstrated its market-leading speed by delivering a state-of-art proton therapy facility within this time frame.”

The system consists of two gantry rooms equipped with IBA’s pencil-beam scanning (PBS) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) large field-of-view image guidance, for enhanced precision and adaptive treatment.

Rooms also include IBA’s wireless hand pendant, the only wireless patient remote control in the radiotherapy industry, along with a new generation, high-accuracy and -precision Patient Positioning System.

Room matching is available, enabling maximum flexibility in room scheduling, with remission time reduced by a minimum of 30 percent for maximum flexibility in patient treatment.

“As a result of the fast installation time, patients are already benefiting from the most advanced cancer treatment technology in The Netherlands,” Olivier Legrain, chief executive officer at IBA, said in a statement. “The installation time is even more remarkable due to the suite of advanced technologies used at this site. It reinforces IBA’s position as the fastest proton therapy provider from contract signature to treatment of patients.”

News of the treatment follows a recent agreement announced earlier this month in which IBA will design an additional gantry treatment room for the first proton therapy center in Latin America.

Two other centers in the country are currently in the process of being built.

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