East Japan HIC
East Japan Heavy Ion CenterFa c u l t y of Med i ci ne, Yamag ata Uni vers i t yYamagata Model Heavy Ion Therapy Facility Equippedwith the World s Latest Technology
The Yamagata University East Japan Heavy Ion Center is theﬁrst facility in the Tohoku and Hokkaido area, and is theworld s ﬁrst facility which is directly connected to a general
hospital.
The facility will make cutting-edge technology, including theworld s third rotating gantry and Japan s ﬁfth 3D pencil
beam scanning system, available in Yamagata.
The Yamagata University East Japan Heavy Ion Center will
provide the safest and most comfortable treatment.

GreetingSpecial Advisor to the Dean, Faculty ofMedicine, Yamagata University
Chairman of Steering Committee, EastJapan Heavy Ion Center, Faculty ofMedicine, Yamagata University
President Emeritus, National Cancer
CenterProf. Takamasa Kayama,M.D., Ph.D.

Director, East Japan Heavy Ion Center,Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University
Director, University Hospital, Faculty ofMedicine, Yamagata University

Prof. Kenji Nemoto,M.D., Ph.D.

Yamagata University started a project to construct a heavy ion therapy
facility in 2005. The Preparatory oﬃce of the Yamagata University
heavy ion cancer treatment facility was established in 2012. Afteracquiring a supplemental budget in 2015, the oﬃce was reorganized as
The Research and Development oﬃce for a next generation heavy ion
treatment system and has carried out the development of a new heavy
ion treatment system called Yamagata Model, looking toward thefuture of heavy ion therapy.
Heavy ion therapy is a type of radiotherapy for cancer that became
practical through the combination of Japan s leading cancer treatment
with science and technology. The Center will oﬀer an environment inwhich patients and their families can comfortably focus on treatment,
provide a course of treatment optimized to each patient, endeavor topioneer future treatments, and conduct research into cancer prevention.
Facility construction began on the Faculty of Medicine campus in 2017and preparations are proceeding steadily according to plan, with theaim of begin treatments in 2021.
The local community has great expectations for this project. We arereceiving enormous support and a constant stream of encouragementfrom Yamagata Prefecture, thirty-ﬁve local municipalities including
Yamagata City and Higashine City, the Tohoku Economic Federation,and many local companies and individuals. We sincerely appreciate
this support and we accept the responsibility to ensure that the project
meets the collective expectations of the Tohoku region.
From here, in Yamagata, we will promote heavy ion therapy, which
was born in Japan. We look forward to everyone s continuing close
relations.
Heavy ion therapy is a kind of radiation therapy in which accelerated
carbon ions hit cancer cells and kill them. Although it requires a large
treatment machine, heavy ion therapy is an excellent treatment for its
eﬀectiveness to radio-resistant tumors, low rate of side eﬀects, andshort treatment periods. There are twelve heavy ion therapy facilities
and six of them are in Japan, however, no facility was located in theTohoku and Hokkaido areas. This center, the ﬁrst facility in northeast
Japan, will start the treatment of prostate cancer and other cancers, ina wide variety, in 2021. Heavy ion therapy was previously classed as
Advanced Medical Care for which patients had to pay an out-of-pocket
expense of around three million yen. With recognition of its eﬀectiveness, however, its coverage under national health insurance has recently started to expand. Prostate cancer, head and neck cancer (mainly
non-squamous cell carcinoma), and bone and soft tissue cancer arecovered by national health insurance, with patients out-of-pocket
expense equal to or less than radiotherapy. More types of cancer are
likely to be covered in the future. Moreover, there are many private
insurance companies which cover Advanced Medical Care for othercancers. Thanks to these companies, heavy ion therapy has become
familiar to cancer patients.
We wish this heavy ion treatment machine to be widely accessible in
the Tohoku area, and we will strongly contribute to regional cancertreatment.

Feature of East Japan Heavy Ion Center

Visio nYAMAGATA model - toward
the best advanced therapy

Feature1Compact facility thatenabled connection toa general hospital
Dramatic size reduction to the world s
smallest footprint enabled the creation of
the world s ﬁrst heavy ion center attached
to a general hospital, allowing people towalk between the two areas. Our facility
can provide comprehensive care to patients
who also have diabetes or heart disease.

Feature

2

Irradiation from various angles while
the patient remains in a comfortable position
The facility is equipped with the world s third rotating gantry using superconductor technology. It promises toreduce side eﬀects by avoiding important organs such as the spinal cord and nerves. The gantry is thesmallest carbon ion rotating gantry in the world.

Scanning method

Target(Tumor)
Scanning
magnets XY

Ridge Filter

Feature3Feature

4

Accurate irradiation
to cancer cells

Regional cooperation using a medicalinformation technology network

The facility uses the world s highest performance 3D
pencil beam scanning method, tailoring the narrow beam
to the tumor, which makes it safer and more eﬀective
than conventional radiotherapy. Moreover, this facility isan environmental-friendly facility with an improved
energy-saving performance (power consumption is about
half of a conventional machine)

We are connected to more than sixty foundation
hospitals in six prefectures throughout the Tohoku area.
Patients living in distant areas can consult doctors attheir nearest hospital.

(ﬁrst instance in Japan)

Floor map
The waiting area and irradiation area where patients stay are decorated with light, vivid colors.
The center is connected to the general hospital via a corridor and has eight individual waiting
rooms to protect patients privacy. The accelerator (the machine that creates the heavy ion
beam that irradiates the malignant lesion; in the equipment area centered on a synchrotron),which is usually out of patients sight, has been painted green with a nature-rich image of
Yamagata.
C Gantry Irradiation Room2F

F Treatment Waiting RoomEV

D Fixed Irradiation Room

7CT
Simulation Room
Treatment
Waiting BoothMRI Room

1F

DiagnosisRoom325Waiting Hall
41E
Reception Hall123451238456EV

B1F

Corridor

EV

Entrance Hall
EV

Accelerator room
(restricted area)A

6

East Japan Heavy Ion Center

B

Accelerator room

C

DE

F

Irradiation Area

Waiting Area（2F）A

Synchrotron

C Gantry Irradiation RoomE

Reception Hall

B

Beam Transport LineD Fixed Irradiation RoomF

Treatment Waiting Room

East Japan Heavy Ion Center

7What is heavy ion therapy?
Heavy ion therapy is an external radiation therapy using a carbon ion beam to break the DNAof cancer cells. Patients feel no pain and no physical load during the irradiation process.

Feature of Heavy Ion Therapy
Heavy ion has the following merits when com-

Diﬀerence of irradiated region
Heavy ion and X-ray

pared with other radiation (proton or X-ray)procedures:

1. Strong eﬀect

Carbon ions have a stronger biological eﬀect thanprotons or X-rays. For example, it is more eﬀective
against sarcoma, which is resistant to X-rays.

X-ray

2. Localized irradiation

Damage is concentrated on the tumor, which means lessdamage to the surrounding cancer-free tissues.

3. Short treatment duration

Heavy ion

The heavy ion beam is concentrated on

The number of treatment sessions and the duration of

the target (contoured with yellow line)

treatment is about half of proton or X-ray treatments.

and avoids cancer-free tissues.

Example of treatment sessions and fractions
Conventionalradiation therapy

Heavy ion therapy

6〜25

2〜４4〜30

1〜４30

16

Prostate cancer

35〜39

12

Pancreas cancer

25〜30

8〜12Head and Neck cancer/
Bone and soft tissue cancer

30〜40

16Region
Liver cancer
Lung cancer

Stage I
Locally Advanced

8East Japan Heavy Ion Center（X-ray/Gamma rays）

Indications suggesting the use of heavy ion therapy
The general indication suggesting the use of heavy ion therapy is a localized solidcancer without systemic metastasis.
*A small number of metastatic tumors are treatable. For detailed information, please consult a radiation oncology specialist.

Cancers that can be treated by heavy ion therapy:

Skull Base cancer
Head and Neck cancer

Esophagus cancer
Lung cancer
Liver cancer
Pancreas cancer
Kidney cancer
Uterus cancer
Rectum cancer (Pelvic recurrence)
Prostate cancer
Sarcoma, Soft tissue cancer

Common perimeters for all cases of heavy ion therapy:● The patient is deﬁnitely diagnosed with cancer● Disease is observed in a diagnostic image● In principle, the maximum tumor diameter is less than 15 cm● No previous irradiation to the same region● No systematic metastasis● Patient s general condition is tolerable for treatment and patient consents to treatment

Treatment might be infeasible in locations close to the skin or organs such as the stomach or intestines.
For detailed information, please consult a radiation oncology specialist.
East Japan Heavy Ion Center9Q& AQ1

Can anyone consult a specialist andbe treated by heavy ion therapy?

A medical referral letter (letter providing medicalAnyone can make a reservation after getting aQ5

How long is one treatment session?

A treatment room is around thirty minutes. TheThe time between entrance to and exit from theinformation) from their doctor. Check the Indications

actual time of heavy ion irradiation is several minutes.

of heavy ion therapy to see which cancers can be

These times depend on the disease and treatment

treated with heavy ion therapy.

techniques. The total number of treatment sessions

Q2

How can I consult a specialist at thiscenter?

also depends on the disease (anywhere fromone-twenty times).

A heavy ion therapy, or that you want to have more

Q6

them for a medical referral letter (letter providing medi-

A focused on the target lesion, its purpose isPlease tell your doctor that you want to receive

detailed information about heavy ion therapy, and ask

What is the difference between surgery,chemotherapy, and immunotherapy?

Since heavy ion therapy is a localized treatment

cal information). After being referred to this hospital,

similar to that of surgery. On the other hand, chemo-

the doctor in charge will decide whether you ﬁt thetherapy and immunotherapy is a systematic treatment

perimeters for heavy ion therapy or not.

for the whole body. Actually, the best treatment isQ3

How long is the waiting time from theﬁrst visit to the start of treatment?

A treatment region. The doctor will carefully examIt takes about one-four weeks depending on theine information that heavy ion therapy would be bene-ﬁcial for the patient. If the patient is cleared for heavy
ion therapy, then preparations for accurate treatment,such as making immobilization devices and CT simulation, will start.

Q4

chosen by taking the advantages of each treatment,
and in some cases, heavy ion therapy is combinedwith other treatments.

Q7

What is the difference between
X-rays and protons?

Compared to x-ray treatment, the cancer can beA irradiated with a higher dose concentration, while

minimizing the eﬀects on cancer-free tissue, since theheavy ion beam can pinpoint the size and depth of theDuring the treatment, must I be admitted toa hospital, or can I visit as an outpatient?

A ion therapy. Therefore, patients can be treated
In general, a patient s load is not severe in heavy

tumor. Biologically, carbon ions are two-three times
larger than protons and X-rays. They are more eﬀective
combating radioresistant tumors and this enables
treatments with a smaller number of sessions.

as outpatients. Neighboring hotels are available forpatients who live in distant areas. Depending on thedisease or chemotherapy, some patients may require
hospital admittance.

Manami Hashimoto Assigned as Health Ambassador ofYamagata University Faculty of Medicine!
Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine assigned Manami
Hashimoto, an actress who was born in Yamagata, as a HealthAmbassador. From now on she will support the Faculty of Medicine s eﬀorts as a symbol of medicine, healthcare, and welfare.

10East Japan Heavy Ion CenterA c ces sFor Akita

For Akita

Sakata Station

Shonai
AirportShonai Airport IC

Shinjo Station

Tsuruoka Station

Oishida Station

Tohoku Expressway
Tohoku Shinkansen

Yamagata
Airport

Sakuranbo Higashine Station

Higashine IC

Senzan Line
Yamagata Staion

Yamagata Central IC

Yamagata-Zao IC

East Japan Heavy Ion Center

Sendai Station

Yamagata Kaminoyama IC

Murata JCT

Kaminoyama Onsen IC

For Niigata

Sendai
AirportYonezawa Station

Yamagata Shinkansen

Easy access fromairport, train station, and Route 13.

Fukushima Station

For TokyoAccess
New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido)

1hour

Yamagata Airport

Nagoya (Komaki) Airport(Aichi)

1hour 15minYamagata Airport

Haneda Airport(Tokyo)

1hour

Yamagata Airport

Osaka (Itami) Airport(Osaka)

1hour 20min

Yamagata Airport

Tokyo Station

Yamagata Shinkansen (2hour 50min)

Yamagata Station

Urawa Interchange
Yamagata Expressway (30min)

Yamagata-Zao Interchange

Tohoku Expressway (3hour 10min)(15min)Murata Junction
University Hospitalget oﬀ at the University
hospital bus stop

Yamagata Station

Bus to University Hospital /Tokai Univ.Yamagata High School (15min)

Sendai station

Highway bus (1hour)

Yamagata Station

Sendai Airport

Highway bus (1hour 20min)

Yamagata Station

Yamagata Airport

Shuttle bus (35min)

Yamagata Station※ A shuttle bus service from Sendai Station is planned for the future.

Yamagata StationTaxi (10min)

University Hospital※The schedule of public transport will change. Please see the latest information.

East Japan Heavy Ion Center11East Japan HIC
East Japan Heavy Ion CenterF a c u l ty of M edic in e, Y a ma ga ta U n i v er si t y

2-2-2 Iidanishi, Yamagata City 990-9585, Japan
10 minutes by car from JR Yamagata Station.
Inquiry desk

East J apan Heavy Ion C enter

Facu lty of M ed icine, Yamagata U n iv er s it yT EL: 023-628-5872 / FAX: 023- 6 2 8 - 5 0 4 4Oﬃce hou r: 9: 00-17: 00 on week d ay s

M ail: heavy -ion@mws. id . y ama g at a- u .ac.jp© 2020 Yamagata University All Rights Reserved.