A multidisciplinary team at the University of Cape Town (UCT) is poised to make significant advancements in cancer treatment by designing a proton therapy centre in Cape Town, aimed at serving both the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and Groote Schuur Hospital. The centre is set to become one of only three – out of 135 globally – in the Southern Hemisphere.
The official launch of the UCT Proton Therapy Initiative will take place on Wednesday, 29 January 2025, at UCT’s prominent Neuroscience Institute. The event promises to be a momentous occasion in healthcare, featuring key attendees, including UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela, Western Cape MEC for Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger, and President and Chief Executive Officer of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Professor Ntobeko Ntusi.
Proton therapy stands at the forefront of cancer treatment, employing a beam of energetic protons generated by a cyclotron – a machine that accelerates charged particles to almost the speed of light. This innovative form of radiation therapy delivers precision targeting to tumours while sparing a greater amount of surrounding healthy tissue, thereby minimising late side effects associated with traditional radiotherapy methods. Particularly in paediatric cases, proton beam therapy has gained recognition for its efficacy, reducing the risks of secondary malignancies that may arise from conventional treatments.
Despite the existence of 135 proton therapy centres worldwide, the Southern Hemisphere has lacked such vital medical resources. The planned Cape Town centre aims to change this landscape by integrating the latest technological advances and incorporating facilities for producing short-lived radioisotopes crucial for nuclear medicine. Furthermore, it will include research beam lines dedicated to the fields of physics, engineering, neuroscience, radiation metrology, and radiobiology, making it an unparalleled resource not just for South Africa, but for the entire African continent.
The project is steered by an exceptional oncology clinical team at UCT and its associated hospitals, encompassing expertise from both public and private sectors, alongside profound knowledge in accelerator-based research and development. Notably, the iThemba LABS national facility has historically been pivotal for radioisotope production and research in the region, but with the lack of proton therapy capabilities, the establishment of the new centre will fill a significant void in cancer treatment options.
Leadership of the project will be shared among notable figures, including Professor Andy Buffler from the Department of Physics, Professor Jeannette Parkes heading Radiation Oncology, and Professor Graham Fieggen, director of the Neuroscience Institute. The initiative not only emphasises healthcare advancement but also envisions a financial sustainability plan, encompassing both public and commercial elements to ensure the long-term viability of the centre.