The first in Taiwan and scheduled to launch in the middle of this year, the Heavy Ion Therapy Center of Taipei Veterans General Hospital has attracted a visit from the Mayo Clinic Florida, one of the best hospitals in the United States, to discuss the cooperation between the two hospitals and to further develop cancer radiation therapy in Taiwan.

Mayo Clinic Florida is one of the best hospitals in the country and one of the top medical centres in the world. The hospital is located in Minnesota and Arizona, and its Proton Therapy Centre will open in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

The Deputy Superintendent of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Dr. Wai-Chiang Lee, said that since the Hospital has the latest experience in the installation of heavy particle equipment, the Mayo Clinic Florida sent two core experts, including Professor Beltran, Chris J, and Associate Professor Furutani, Keith, to Taiwan today for a special visit to the Heavy Ion Therapy Centre operated by the hospital. They discussed the installation of facility, pre-operational testing procedures, treatment planning process and cooperation between the two parties.

Dr. Lee pointed out that the hospital has the best medical team and the most advanced equipment, while the Mayo is also a world leader in proton therapy.

The Heavy Ion Therapy Center has been under planning since 2009, with an investment of more than NT$4.5 billion. The construction started on January 14, 2019 and completed on June 30, 2020. On May 11 last year, it officially obtained approval for use and completed clinical trials in October. It is currently under review by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and is expected to be officially opened to treat patients this year.