'Heavy ion therapy': Abu Dhabi to open game-changing cancer treatment facility
Abu Dhabi is bringing the future of cancer care to the region with a world-class 'heavy ion therapy' facility in the UAE. One of only 15 in the world, the state-of-the-art centre will be located near Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Fatima Bint Mubarak Centre.
The centre was announced on the inaugural day of the Abu Dhabi Health Week that kicked off on Tuesday.
Heavy ion therapy is a powerful advancement in radiation treatment that uses carbon ions to target tumors with pinpoint accuracy. Carbon ions are 12 times heavier than protons, delivering significantly more energy to cancer cells and destroying them. The therapy is not only more effective at destroying cancer cells, but also better at minimising harm to normal tissues surrounding the cancer because of its precision. The treatment process is highly advanced and follows a meticulous approach for optimal precision and effectiveness.
Each patient undergoes detailed imaging using CT and MRI scans to precisely locate the tumor. Using sophisticated software, a customized treatment plan is created to determine the optimal dose and trajectory of the heavy ion beam. These ions are then accelerated to nearly 70 per cent of the speed of light, providing them with enough energy to safely penetrate deep into tissues and target even the most difficult to treat tumors.
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