Collaboration on the Introduction of a Heavy Ion Therapy System by 2031… QST Hospital, the World’s First to Begin Heavy Ion Therapy

Si Yeol Song, Head of the Heavy-ion Therapy Implementation Development at Asan Medical Center, said, “We will strive to create a patient-centered environment for carbon ion therapy.”

▲ (From left) Si Yeol Song, Head of the Heavy Ion Therapy Implementation Development and President of the AMC Cancer Institute, and Hitoshi Ishikawa, Director of QST Hospital, pose for a commemorative photo after signing a memorandum of understanding on heavy ion therapy at QST Hospital in Japan on October 27.

Asan Medical Center (President Park Seung Il), which is preparing to introduce the state-of-the-art cancer treatment system known as the heavy ion therapy system, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on heavy ion therapy with Japan’s QST (National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology) Hospital, the world’s first institution to begin heavy ion therapy in 1994.

The heavy ion therapy system to be introduced at Asan Medical Center in 2031 is expected to provide an optimal treatment option for patients with hard-to-treat cancers. It will be applicable not only to prostate, pancreatic, and liver cancers but also to lung cancer, sarcoma, kidney cancer, and recurrent tumors that are resistant to conventional treatments.

In addition, the center plans to provide differentiated care with a next-generation multi-ion beam system capable of using not only carbon ions but also various particles such as helium, neon, and oxygen. This advanced technology will minimize damage to healthy tissues, effectively target treatment-resistant tumors, and potentially be applied to pediatric cancers.

The signing ceremony took place on October 27 at QST Hospital in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and was attended by key representatives from both institutions, including Si Yeol Song, Head of the Heavy Ion Therapy Implementation Development and President of the AMC Cancer Institute, and Hitoshi Ishikawa, Director of QST Hospital.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will closely collaborate in areas such as professional training on heavy ion therapy, patient exchange, and clinical research. In particular, Asan Medical Center, which aims to begin operating its heavy ion therapy system by 2031, is expected to receive comprehensive support and cooperation from QST Hospital in related technologies and treatment processes during the preparation phase.

Asan Medical Center, which treats the largest number of cancer patients in Korea, signed a contract last April with the Toshiba ESS–DK Medical Solutions consortium to introduce a heavy ion therapy system and has since begun full-scale preparations with the goal of starting operation in 2031.

Asan Medical Center is preparing to build the nation’s largest heavy ion therapy facility on its Pungnap-dong campus in Songpa District, with a total floor area of 40,880 square meters. The facility will be equipped with two rotating gantry treatment systems and one fixed beam system, aiming to create a cutting-edge treatment environment and improve the convenience and comfort of care for cancer patients.

By applying an image-guided system using CT equipment, Asan Medical Center aims to implement a differentiated system that can accurately reflect changes in tumor size or position during treatment, enabling highly precise, personalized cancer care.

Si Yeol Song, Head of the Heavy Ion Therapy Implementation Development and President of the AMC Cancer Institute, said, “We expect that the extensive experience of QST Hospital, the world’s first institution to introduce heavy ion therapy into clinical practice and one with a rich record of accumulated treatments, will be of great help to Asan Medical Center. Through close collaboration between the two institutions, we will strive to expand treatment opportunities for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers and establish a truly patient-centered environment for heavy ion therapy.”