Targeting Complex and Rare Cancers With Greater Precision: "Setting the Standard for Particle Therapy"

[Interview] Moon Sungho, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center
Over 6,000 Patients Treated Since Korea's First Introduction in 2007
Minimizing Side Effects Through Precision Treatment of Liver, Esophageal, and Eye C

Interest in "particle therapy" for cancer treatment is higher than ever. As the goal of treatment is evolving beyond simply extending survival time to focusing on quality of life after treatment, major hospitals are rushing to introduce and invest in next-generation radiation equipment. Among them, the National Cancer Center, which began proton therapy for the first time in Korea in 2007, is opening a new chapter in cancer treatment based on its extensive experience and outstanding treatment outcomes accumulated over many years.

Munsung Ho, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center, is explaining the effectiveness of proton therapy for liver cancer, esophageal cancer, eye cancer, and others in an interview with The Asia Business Daily. National Cancer Center.

On March 23, Sungho Moon, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center, said in an interview with The Asia Business Daily, "Over the past 20 years, more than 6,300 patients have received proton therapy at our hospital, with the number of treatments exceeding 118,000 cases. The annual number of treated patients has also grown sharply, from about 150 in the early years to more than 560 recently." Last year, there were about 27,000 particle therapy cases nationwide, of which 37% (about 9,900 cases) were carried out at the National Cancer Center.

Particle therapy is largely divided into proton (hydrogen nucleus) and heavy ion (carbon ion) therapy. Proton therapy utilizes the physical property of particles known as the "Bragg peak," concentrating radiation energy at the point where it reaches the tumor, delivering a high radiation dose to the cancer while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Director Moon explained this as "a way to precisely target and hit the cancer." This approach is especially advantageous for treating cancers in sensitive areas such as the brain, nervous system, and around the eyes, and for pediatric cancer patients, it helps reduce the risks of growth disorders and secondary cancers after treatment. "Protons are light particles and can be controlled with great precision," Moon said, "which provides significant benefits when treating cancers in delicate areas like the eye or near the brain." As this treatment has been in use globally since the 1950s, data from more than 350,000 patients have been accumulated worldwide.

Heavy ion therapy accelerates carbon ions, which are 12 times heavier than protons, and can more powerfully destroy cancer cell DNA. However, heavy ion therapy facilities require six to seven times more space than proton therapy facilities, and the equipment costs are also much higher, at 250 to 300 billion won for two treatment units, which is three to four times more expensive. In addition, most proton therapy procedures are covered by national health insurance, so patients pay around 1.5 to 2.5 million won out of pocket. In contrast, heavy ion therapy is not covered and costs between 50 to 70 million won. Director Moon stated, "Heavy ion therapy may be effective for intractable cancers, but there is still insufficient clinical data. In contrast, proton therapy has the strengths of long-verified safety and a wealth of clinical experience."

As a public medical institution, the National Cancer Center has focused on treating hard-to-cure and rare cancers with low profitability. One notable example is liver cancer. Clinical studies comparing proton therapy to conventional treatments for early-stage liver cancer patients who cannot undergo surgery or radiofrequency ablation showed a five-year local control rate of 90% and a five-year survival rate of 60% to 80%—comparable to surgical outcomes. For advanced liver cancer, the average survival period is seven to eight months with only chemotherapy, but when combined with proton therapy, it increases to 15 to 20 months.

Early-stage esophageal cancer patients often have no symptoms and are diagnosed by chance, but surgery requires a large resection of the esophagus, severely reducing quality of life. Director Moon explained, "For these patients, radiation therapy is an option, and using protons can reduce the radiation dose to the heart and lungs, thereby lowering the long-term risk of side effects." In addition, proton therapy has proven effective in challenging treatment areas such as pediatric cancer, spinal tumors, and choroidal melanoma (ocular tumors).

Sung Ho Moon, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center, is preparing proton therapy for thoracic tumor patients. National Cancer Center.

Training Experts Is More Important Than Equipment ... Even Transferring Technology Overseas

Proton therapy cannot be performed with equipment alone. In addition to radiation oncologists, various specialists such as medical physicists, radiologic technologists, and engineers must accurately calculate radiation doses for treatment equipment and ensure patient safety. In 2005, the National Cancer Center established Korea's first "Medical Physics Academy" to train such specialists. Around 40 experts trained there are now serving as core personnel at major hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital. Director Moon emphasized, "In radiation therapy, the role of the medical physicist operating the equipment is just as important as the equipment itself. Cultivating these key specialists is a crucial task for the future development of particle therapy in Korea."

The treatment experience and expertise of the National Cancer Center are also contributing to the global advancement of cancer therapy. Last year, the National Cancer Center's experts, including Director Moon, went to Kazakhstan's National Research Oncology Center (NROC) to support the launch of the first proton therapy program in Central Asia, assisting with equipment verification, treatment planning, and technology transfer. Director Moon said, "Based on our experience starting proton therapy for the first time, we are helping Kazakhstan build a stable treatment system," adding, "We will continue expanding the role of Korean medicine through international cooperation."

The National Cancer Center plans to introduce the next-generation standalone proton therapy unit "Proteus ONE" next year. With state-of-the-art techniques such as rotating treatment technology, the new equipment, expected to begin operation in 2028, will shorten treatment times and minimize impact on healthy organs near tumors, allowing about 250 additional patients to be treated annually. Director Moon emphasized, "As equipment becomes smaller and technology advances, particle therapy will spread even more rapidly. The National Cancer Center will continue to set national treatment standards and train professionals."

Sungho Moon, Director of the Proton Therapy Center at the National Cancer Center, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. National Cancer Center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.