History of Particle Therapy

Radiation Therapy with charged particles was first proposed by Robert R. Wilson in 1946.

  • 1895 Discovery of X-rays.
  • 1896 First Use of C-Rays for RT.
  • 1903 Discovery of Bragg Peak.
  • 1913 Nobel Prize to Bragg Sr. & Jr.
  • 1930 First Construction of Cyclotron.
  • 1946 Use of Ion Beam Proposed for RT.
  • 1955 First Proton Therapy at LBNL, USA.
  • 1957 First Cancer Patient Treated with Protons at TSL, Sweden.
  • 1961 Proton Therapy Started at MGH/HCL, USA.
  • 1973 Development of CT.
  • 1975 First Heavy Ion Therapy at LBNL, USA.
  • 1990 Hospital-Based Proton Center at LLUMC, USA.
  • 1994 C-ion RT Started at HIMAC, NIRS, Japan.
  • 1997 C-ion RT Started at GSI/Heidelberg, Germany.
  • 1998 First Hospital-Based Proton RT with Cyclotron at NCC, Japan.
  • 2001 MGH New Proton Therapy Facility Opened.
  • 2006 UF and MD Anderson Opened PT Centers.
  • 2009 Proton and C-Ion RT Started at HIT, Heidelberg, Germany.
  • 2010 Lioness Medtech Founded.
  • 2012 Proton and C-Ion RT Started at CNAO, Italy.