[Initial clinical experience of proton therapy at Shizuoka Cancer Center].

Purpose: To present the initial experience and preliminary clinical results of patients treated mainly with proton irradiation at the newly developed proton therapy facility at Shizuoka Cancer Center.

Materials and methods: We reviewed 125 patients who underwent proton therapy between July 2003 and December 2004. Of these 125 patients, 11 had head and neck malignancies, 15 non-small cell lung cancers, 22 hepatocellular carcinomas, 62 prostate cancers, and 15 other malignant tumors.

Results: Most patients experienced Grade 0-1 acute morbidities (NCI-CTC) in skin or mucosa, while a temporary Grade 2-3 reaction was observed in a high dose area. Response rates were 73% for H & N malignancies, 100% for NSCLC, and 77% for HCC. PSA evaluation for patients with prostate cancer revealed a high rate of complete response.

Conclusion: The efficacy and safety of proton therapy at Shizuoka Cancer Center was demonstrated for patients with early-stage cancer or locally advanced disease.