Yonsei Cancer Hospital announced on the 18th that it will operate three particle therapy machines that precisely target cancer cells in the second half of this year. Particle therapy accelerates carbon atoms close to the speed of light to destroy cancer cells. It targets cancer cells with greater intensity than radiation therapy while causing no damage to normal tissue. The treatment time is relatively short, and side effects are minimal.
Yonsei Cancer Hospital was established in 1969 as the first specialized cancer treatment institution in Korea. It introduced a particle therapy machine in 2023 and is currently operating two units, with an additional machine to be added in the second half of this year. The treatment targets have been expanded from pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer to include head and neck cancer and osteosarcoma. A total of 538 patients have received particle therapy at Yonsei Cancer Hospital by the end of last year.
Yonsei Cancer Hospital will introduce the fifth-generation Da Vinci robotic surgery. Robotic surgery minimizes the incision area. It results in less postoperative pain and a shorter recovery period. Research based on artificial intelligence (AI) is also being conducted, with plans to combine it with quantum computing technology in the future.
Yonsei Cancer Hospital aims to improve the survival rates of three types of hard-to-treat cancers: lung cancer, liver cancer, and pancreatic cancer. The relative survival rate for lung cancer at Yonsei Cancer Hospital from 2015 to 2019 is 43.7%. The relative survival rates for liver cancer and pancreatic cancer are 39.9% and 16.5%, respectively. These rates are higher than the national average survival rates for lung cancer (34.7%), liver cancer (37.7%), and pancreatic cancer (13.9%).
Choi Jin-seop, head of Yonsei Cancer Hospital, said, "With the additional operation of the therapy machine, the range of cancers that can be treated will be broadened," adding, "We will advance research and treatment to a world-class level so that patients can experience the value of healthcare."