IBA to Perform Total System Restoration on Its First Proton Therapy Installation

IBA announced it will completely restore the its first-ever proton therapy installation at Massachusetts General Hospital. The total value of the contract is between USD 80 and 100 million.

Mass General Cancer Center’s proton system was installed by IBA 25 years ago and treated its first patient in November 2001. This collaboration pioneered the use of IBA ProteusPLUS  systems and Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) in hospitals globally.

This project is the first time a comprehensive restoration will be made on a legacy machine. It demonstrates IBA’s unique ability to bring equipment into compliance with modern standards. A significant benefit is that this process avoids the need to build a new center or decommission the entire proton therapy system, which is not only costly, but also has a high carbon footprint due to the specialty tools required to complete the decommissioning process safely.

The restoration of the Mass General Cancer Center facility will include the installation of components such as robotic patient positioners, the latest pencil beam scanning nozzles, power supplies and cables, as well as the latest software releases. Some of the principal components of the existing facility, such as the cyclotron, gantry structures, and magnets, will be repaired and refurbished as needed. This project will best position Mass General Cancer Center to continue its unparalleled history of delivering advanced cancer treatments and allow access to future technological developments.

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA, commented, “We are very pleased to continue our work with Massachusetts General Hospital after a rewarding 25 years of collaboration. This is also a key milestone for IBA and our proton therapy community as we demonstrate our commitment and ability to enable our historical customers’ systems to perform to the highest clinical standards while minimizing the ecological footprint and cost of commissioning a brand-new building and system.”

Anthony Zietman, MD, Chief of Radiation Oncology at MGH, said, “We are looking forward to starting a new collaboration with IBA to ensure the highest quality, performance, safety, and technology for our proton therapy practice for many decades to come. This restoration will enable us to continue to treat patients in the same historic Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center while ensuring we are ready for future innovation.”