Leo Cancer Care Gains Further Traction In Japan With Latest Research Partnership Agreement

A renowned Japanese medical center with a focus on carbon ion radiotherapy will analyze pioneering upright system.

From the left is Yusuke Nomura, Ph.D, Stephen Towe, CEO and Co-Founder of Leo Cancer Care and on the right is Taku Inaniwa, Ph.D., Team Leader.

MIDDLETON, WI, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2024, Leo Cancer Care has secured an agreement with another leading Japanese research hospital to test the reproducibility and comfort of using its upright positioning system for treating cancer patients.

QST Hospital, is part of a national organization recognized for its research into radiation medicine and pioneering advancements in carbon ion radiotherapy.

The hospital took delivery of Leo Cancer Care’s demonstration upright positioning system on September 9th and for the next two months will conduct a research programme which will include looking at immobilization for different anatomical regions; monitor patient comfort and measure how accurately and reproducibly the patient can be placed back into an immobilized position.

Dr. Hitoshi Ishikawa, General Director of QST Hospital, quoted "The upright positioning system has great potential to solve several technical issues of charged particle therapy and especially to develop carbon ion radiotherapy in the world. This innovative technology is expected to play a pivotal role in the next-generation radiotherapy which will be globally applied for cancer treatment."

This announcement comes hot on the heels of the Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center in Japan agreeing last June to conduct a similar research project.

And earlier this year, in April, a world-leading carbon ion center, CNAO (National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy) in Pavia, Italy, agreed to install Marie® together with a vertical CT scanner to be placed in front of an existing fixed carbon ion and proton therapy beam with patients rotated slowly and smoothly to different beam angles as treatment is administered.

Niek Schreuder, Leo Cancer Care’s Chief Scientific Officer said: “QST Hospital has paved the way for many successes in using heavy ion beams to treat cancer. Partnering with Leo Cancer Care to bring upright treatments to clinical reality in heavy ion beam therapy is another major milestone in this journey. We are excited to continue this important work together with QST Hospital.”

Japan is one of the largest manufacturers of heavy ion therapy device equipment in the world as well as being a hotbed for innovation and a global leader in adopting new technologies.

Globally most facilities use a fixed heavy ion beam, with treatments typically delivered while the patient lies down, limiting treatment angles and patient positioning. The Leo Cancer Care solution that rotates the patient 360 degrees in a seated position, aims to unlock access to currently hard-to-reach cancers.

Please note: Leo Cancer Care’s upright patient positioning system, Eve recently gained 510(k) regulatory clearance in the United States for clinical use. Marie, including our upright CT scanner, is not yet clinically available.