Some elementary particles used for experiments of fundamental physics have properties useful to the treatments of patients affected by oncological pathologies. They are protons and carbon ions, collectively named hadrons, hence the term hadron therapy. Hadrons, in particular carbon ions, are more precise on the target than conventional X-rays and possess radiobiological characteristics suited to treat radioresistant or inoperable tumors. Italy is at the forefront of these techniques, and in Pavia a clinical facility called CNAO (Italian acronym that stands for National Centre for Oncological Hadron therapy) has treated so far more than 2800 patients with very good results. The CNAO was created by the Health Ministry and was realized by the CNAO Foundation in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), CERN, GSI and other institutions in Italy and abroad. The facility in Pavia delivers beams of hadrons in three treatment rooms with four fixed beam ports: three horizontal and one vertical. A new room, with an horizontal beamline and multiple isocenters, was completed and will be fully devoted to research applications. The CNAO has also launched a development programe to add a new single room for proton therapy with a gantry and a dedicated accelerator. Attention is also devoted to the most interesting aspects of research and development in the hadron therapy domain, like the creation of a new BNCT (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy) facility and the design of a novel gantry for carbon ions.

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国家肿瘤强子治疗中心 (CNAO)：现状和未来展望

一些用于基础物理学实验的基本粒子具有对治疗受肿瘤病理影响的患者有用的特性。它们是质子和碳离子，统称为强子，因此称为强子疗法。强子，尤其是碳离子，比传统的 X 射线更精确地瞄准目标，并且具有适合治疗抗辐射或无法手术的肿瘤的放射生物学特性。意大利处于这些技术的最前沿，在帕维亚，一家名为 CNAO（意大利语首字母缩写词，代表国家肿瘤强子治疗中心）的临床机构迄今已治疗了 2800 多名患者，取得了非常好的效果。CNAO 由卫生部创建，由 CNAO 基金会与意大利核物理研究所 (INFN)、CERN、GSI 和意大利和国外的其他机构。帕维亚的设施在三个治疗室提供强子束，有四个固定的光束端口：三个水平和一个垂直。一个具有水平光束线和多个等中心点的新房间已经完工，并将完全用于研究应用。CNAO 还启动了一项开发计划，为质子治疗增加一个新的单间，配备龙门架和专用加速器。还关注强子治疗领域研究和开发中最有趣的方面，例如创建新的 BNCT（硼中子捕获治疗）设施和设计新型碳离子台架。一个具有水平光束线和多个等中心点的新房间已经完工，并将完全用于研究应用。CNAO 还启动了一项开发计划，为质子治疗增加一个新的单间，配备龙门架和专用加速器。还关注强子治疗领域研究和开发中最有趣的方面，例如创建新的 BNCT（硼中子捕获治疗）设施和设计新型碳离子台架。一个具有水平光束线和多个等中心点的新房间已经完工，并将完全用于研究应用。CNAO 还启动了一项开发计划，为质子治疗增加一个新的单间，配备龙门架和专用加速器。还关注强子治疗领域研究和开发中最有趣的方面，例如创建新的 BNCT（硼中子捕获治疗）设施和设计新型碳离子台架。