New Generation of Medical Accelerators Used in Hadrontherapy

Today hadrontherapy is progressing as a modern treatment technique for different types of hard and radioresistent tumor. The advantage of the high accuracy of the dose deposition resulting from the physical properties of hadrons and the higher radiobiological effectiveness make this kind of radiation a promising tool for cancer treatment. However, the new modalities of dose delivery for this radiation imply a high technology development, and type of accelerator plays a crucial role for a successful treatment. Compared with the conventional radiation therapy in which photons are mainly used, In order to overcome the physical and biological limitations of the conventional radiotherapy, proton and carbon ion employed in hadrontherapy can spare healthy tissues more effectively because of the optimal distribution of their doses in tissue. In addition, radiobiological advantages associated with hadron therapy give the technique an unique position among the conventional treatment methods. However, following the new technological developments and the advantages of hadrons over conventional radiation therapy the number of hospital based centers provided with equipments completely dedicated to clinical activity is increasing, the demand for the use of this treatment methode is increasing worldwide and since most of the treatment centers are now hospital-based, they need to be built as small as possible in size while maintaining their clinical advantages and reducing related costs as much as possible. Accordingly, choosing the appropriate accelerators has always been of utmost importance to achieve this goal.