2.1 General information
The UMCG Particle Therapy Research Center (PARTREC) is a dedicated research facility embedded in the Departments of Radiation Oncology, and Biomedical Sciences of the UMCG. It operates a large superconducting cyclotron for experimental research, mainly in radiation physics and biology, to support further development of radiotherapy with beams of protons and other ions. The cyclotron delivers beams of ions ranging from protons to oxygen with energies up to 190 MeV for protons and 90 MeV per nucleon for ions of helium to oxygen.The accelerator is furthermore used for research in nuclear chemistry by the faculty of the University of Groningen and for radiation hardness testing by science and industry. Some 25 FTE of technical staff operate the accelerator facility and provide the support to design, build, and operate experimental stations.
The UMCG PARTREC accelerator facility is well integrated with the research landscape and participates in various EU projects. The facility is open to the worldwide scientific community and industry.
2.2 PARTREC mission statement
PARTREC, the UMCG Particle Therapy Research Center, promotes multidisciplinary research in which accelerator physics, radiation physics, medical physics and biology, imaging, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, big-data analysis and clinical research come together to improve the quality of proton therapy treatment and explore potential benefits of other particles for cancer treatment.
PARTREC combines in a unique way technology development, preclinical research and patient studies into an R&D program to continuously improve proton therapy technology and treatment and to demonstrate the accompanying clinical and economic benefits. Proton Flash and the usefulness of particles other than protons for high-precision radiotherapy is investigated as well.
The physics and biology of particle therapy, with a special focus on proton therapy, is a strategic research priority of UMCG. PARTREC is a dedicated research facility functioning in cooperation with the UMCG Groningen Proton Therapy Center (GPTC): patient care and clinical research are performed at the GPTC, while radiation biology and physics are investigated at PARTREC.