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Scientific Institutional

Proton therapy, the focus of USC's CiMUS in its commemoration of Medical Physics Day

  • From the hand of a world reference in this field, medical physicist Marie Vidal, who will be in charge of giving the conference “Clinical challenges and opportunities in proton therapy at Centre Antoine Lacassagne”
  • It will take place on Thursday, November 7, at 12:00, in the CiMUS Theatre room

USC will commemorate the International Day of Medical Physics at CiMUS and will do so by speaking about proton therapy with one of the world's leading experts in this field, Marie Vidal, a medical physicist at the Antoine Lacassagne Centre in Nice. Her presentation will focus on the clinical changes and opportunities generated by proton therapy, contextualising its application at the Antoine Lacassagne Centre to which she is attached. It will be on 7 November at 12:00 noon in the Theatre room at CiMUS, making her conference coincide with the exact date of this event.

The choice of the topic is linked to two key aspects for the USC: on the one hand, the recent expansion by CiMUS of its research areas with a new line of study, proton therapy, adding to the team of this Unique Center the new principal investigator Yolanda Prezado, a leading scientist in Paris in this field, and, on the other, the construction of the Proton Therapy Center of Galicia that according to official forecasts will begin to operate in 2026, making this Community the first in Spain to have a center of these characteristics.

CiMUS wants to highlight the fact that proton therapy, also known as high-precision radiotherapy, will allow Galicia to be at the forefront of new cancer treatments and reminds us that this is a clear commitment by this Community to physical and health research that benefits citizens.

The most efficient option against difficult-to-access tumors and against childhood cancer

Proton therapy has demonstrated high efficacy and greater safety than conventional radiotherapy with photons or electrons. This is a technique that allows for highly effective treatment of tumors that are difficult to access or located in sensitive areas, with a very high level of precision that significantly shortens treatments and largely avoids the side effects of other techniques. Proton therapy significantly reduces unwanted effects on healthy tissue, being an effective method for tumors in which conventional radiotherapy is not effective and surgery is not an option.

Unlike traditional photon radiation, which uses X-rays to attack the tumor, but applies radiation to healthy tissue, proton therapy is a treatment that directs protons to the tumor, where they deposit most of the radiation dose. With this therapy, residual radiation is minimal, potentially reducing side effects and damage to surrounding tissue.

In the case of childhood cancer, one of the main advantages of protons in pediatric oncology patients is their ability to preserve healthy tissue. The precision of this type of radiotherapy allows young people to aspire to very high survival rates and the best possible quality of life. In cases such as neuropaediatric tumours, for example, proton therapy is able to better preserve neurological functions.

About CiMUS

The Unique Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS) of the University of Santiago de Compostela is part of the network of research centres with a new organisation and operation model, which constitutes the fundamental element of the R&D strategy of the CAMPUS VIDA project (Campus of International Excellence, MEC-MICINN, 2009). The mission of CiMUS is to carry out basic research of proven quality, with the aim of achieving advances in the prevention, understanding and treatment of chronic disease. The centre has CIGUS recognition from the Xunta de Galicia, which accredits the quality and impact of its research. More information on the website https://cimus.usc.gal/ or follow us on social media @cimususc (X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn).