Advent of the Era of Heavy Ion Therapy Initiated by Severance Hospital with the First-ever Prostate Cancer Treatment in Korea

On April 28th, Severance Hospital commenced its first Heavy Ion Therapy, treating the first patient - a man in his 60s with stage 2 prostate cancer. The tumor, measuring 1.2 cm, was localized to the prostate gland, with no signs of metastasis to surrounding lymph nodes or organs. The first session was carried out on the 28th, and the treatment will be administered 12 times over three weeks.

Following the treatment, the patient expressed surprise at its brief duration and painlessness. He said "I was surprised that the heavy ion treatment was done after a few minutes. I couldn’t feel any pain."

The patient had an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of over 4ng/ml during a health checkup in 2020. Two years later, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer and considering surgery, he learned about the Heavy Ion Therapy Center at Severance Hospital. It is important to note that Heavy Ion Therapy may not be suitable for all prostate cancer patients. Patients with stage 4 cancer or metastasis may not qualify for the treatment, and those who have previously undergone prostate surgery or radiation therapy may face challenges as it can be difficult to detect cancer cells. However, the treatment duration for prostate cancer typically takes less than 30 minutes, allowing patients to resume their normal activities immediately after.

Dr. Choi Jin-sub, Head of Yonsei Cancer Center said that the hospital, equipped with Heavy Ion Therapy, will take the lead in cancer treatment by providing various treatment options, including surgery and chemotherapy.