Proton Therapy

Eye tumour therapy success story

2023

The eye tumour therapy team (ATT team) is setting up additional experiment stations to enable research with protons without restricting therapy. Protons can be used to study solar cells, materials needed for use in space, but also biological samples.

Set-up for irradiation of biological samples with very high dose rates (FLASH).

2021

A publication from the ATT team is highlighted by the editors of the journal "Medical Physics" as recommended reading. It concerns the so-called FLASH therapy, which the team tested on mouse eyes: in this case, the tumour is irradiated with protons only very briefly, but very strongly. This FLASH therapy also destroys the tumour, but has fewer side effects.

^{Referenz: Kourkafas, G.; Bundesmann, J.; Fanselow, T.; Denker, A.; Ehrhardt, V.H.; Gollrad, J.; Budach, V.; Weber, A.; Kociok, N.; Joussen, A.M.; Heufelder, J.: FLASH proton irradiation setup with a modulator wheel for a single mouse eye. Medical Physics 48 (2021), p. 1839-1845, doi: 10.1002/mp.14730 Open Access (external provider).}

2019

The number of patients who have successfully undergone eye tumour treatment is steadily increasing. In 2019, the ATT team cares for 276 patients.

2018

The ATT team is developing a diagnostic system to precisely determine the energy and range of the proton beam. The company DE.TEC.TOR. S.r.l. acquires the licence to market the invention as a certified medical device. It ensures the quality of eye tumour therapy.

DE.TEC.TOR Group

2014 –2012

By 2012, 2000 patients had come to us. In 2014, two years later, the eye tower therapy team treated its 2500th patient.

2011

There is a pre-accelerator for the generation and initial acceleration of the protons. Now an additional pre-accelerator is being built. A so-called "tandetron". When the tandetron is serviced, the original pre-accelerator takes over and ensures the availability of the therapy.

2008

In 2008, the youngest patient is treated with proton therapy.

2007

In December 2007, we welcome the 1000th patient for whom we were able to successfully perform radiotherapy.

2006

In June 2006, the ATT team is the first institution worldwide to introduce the OCTOPUS software. This software helps to create the individual radiation plan: all available images, whether computer tomographies, MRI images or ultrasound are included in the calculation.

2000

The ATT team is hosting an international conference on particle therapy in September 2000 (33. Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group conference).

1998

On 22 June 1998, the first patient is treated with proton therapy.

1991 – 1998

09/1991 The idea takes shape/first talks.
04/1995 The application for a university building grant is approved.
06/1995 Groundbreaking ceremony.
08/1997 Technical completion
13.06.1998 All approvals are obtained for the first proton therapy facility in Germany.

Therapy room for proton therapy at the Wannsee site. In this room, patients are prepared for proton therapy and are and later irradiated.