Chennai headquartered Apollo Hospitals has announced its plans to establish a Proton Therapy Center in India, claiming the same to be first of its kind across South East Asia, Africa and Australia. According to the healthcare giant, this launch marked the beginning of the next wave of advancement in radiation therapy in India.

The deal worth approximately Rs 400 crore with Belgium based company, IBA (Ion Beam Applications S.A.), a worldwide technology leader in the field of proton therapy, covers the equipment and services including the long-term operation and maintenance of the center.

Designed with state-of-the-art technology, IBA Proteus®PLUS is clinically inspired to offer the possibility to configure the most appropriate combination of features to meet the individual needs of patients and provides a versatility to meet the clinical objectives of physicians. IBA will equip the Apollo Proton Therapy Center with its Proteus®PLUS multi-room configuration which will include three treatment rooms with Uniform Scanning and Pencil Beam Scanning capabilities. IBA will also provide all dosimetry equipment to ensure the safest and fastest commissioning of the center so that patients can benefit from this technology starting 2016. In addition to this, the Apollo Proton Therapy Center will have a significant portion of the facility dedicated to research and development that will partner with leading institutions across the world to foster innovation so as to make modern healthcare accessible and available for the nation.

Speaking on this new initiative, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group said, "This new proton therapy facility will give patients access to the most advanced radiation therapy technology. Moreover, the center will become an International Proton Therapy Center of Reference in Asia, allowing us to further enhance our ability to provide superior cancer care and promote the benefits of proton therapy technology across the sub-continent".

Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer of IBA, commented: "We are very excited to be making proton therapy available for the first time in India. The Indian healthcare market is growing rapidly and there is a significant need for innovative approaches to cancer therapy. Apollo Hospitals is one of Asia's leading healthcare providers and through our collaboration, IBA further strengthens its world leading position in proton therapy and will be at the forefront of delivering the latest in innovative cancer therapy to the Asia region."

A per company statement, with approximately 3 million people suffering from cancer in India and one million new cases being detected every year, there is a need for specialty cancer treatment hospitals. As most patients are diagnosed with advanced stage cancer, the demand for state-of-the-art cancer treatment is high. Apollo has claimed that this Proton Therapy Centre, with its highly advanced technology, will be able to provide the best in class treatment for patients who suffer from cancer.

The company claims that Proton therapy is increasingly considered the most advanced and targeted cancer treatment due to its superior dose distribution and fewer side effects. It is used today to treat many cancers and is particularly appropriate in situations where treatment options are limited and conventional radiation therapy presents risks to patients. These situations include eye and brain cancers, tumors close to the brain stem and spinal cord, prostate, liver, lung and breast cancers, and pediatric cancers.