Introduction of the True "Dream Therapy" Device: Proton Therapy System Planned
Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital in Gyeongnam completed the purchase of land for its cancer hospital on June 16, 2025, and is now beginning construction of an "advanced cancer hospital" that aims to dramatically raise the standard of cancer treatment in the southeastern region. The cancer hospital will have a capacity of 500 beds.
This cancer hospital project is not simply about increasing the number of beds; it is an initiative to revolutionize both the precision of treatment and patient accessibility. Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital plans to invest approximately 600 billion KRW to construct the cancer hospital and introduce a proton therapy system.
The cancer hospital will be designed as an integrated care system encompassing all aspects of cancer treatment, including diagnosis, surgery, chemotherapy, pain management, nutritional support, and psychological care. In particular, the facility will include intensive care unit (ICU) beds capable of supporting complex cancer surgeries and high-risk chemotherapy, a multidisciplinary collaboration center, a precision diagnostics lab, and a genetics-based therapy support center.
Recently, Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital has begun discussions with Belgium's IBA, the world's largest proton therapy equipment company, to introduce the "proton therapy system," which is considered the core treatment device and a true "dream therapy" for the cancer hospital. Through this, the hospital plans to establish a precision particle therapy infrastructure in the southeastern region.
The "DynamicARC" technology, which will be installed in the proton therapy system, is the latest innovation developed by Belgium's IBA, a global leader in particle therapy equipment. Unlike conventional carbon ion or static proton therapy, DynamicARC enables "ultra-precise beam irradiation using rotational technique," allowing energy to be targeted exclusively to cancer cells.
This technology has been reported at academic conferences to be highly effective in treating difficult cancers such as pediatric cancer, brain tumors, liver cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and breast cancer. It is a technology that is about to be widely adopted in advanced countries such as the United States and Europe. If the plan proceeds as scheduled, Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital will become one of the first hospitals in Korea to introduce this technology, and the only medical institution in the southeastern region to do so.
Proton therapy targets only cancer cells with high precision while minimizing damage to normal tissue. As national health insurance has recently begun to cover various types of cancer treated with this method, the economic burden on patients is also being reduced.
Chairman Ha Chungshik stated, "While some institutions in Seoul and the metropolitan area are preparing to introduce proton therapy systems, Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital is proactively preparing for a decisive leap in the region's medical infrastructure by linking this plan to the new cancer hospital. We will establish a system in Changwon that allows 7.6 million residents of Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam to receive treatment in their daily lives without having to travel to the Seoul metropolitan area."
Meanwhile, Changwon Hanmaeum Hospital is targeting the opening of its cancer hospital in 2030. In addition to treatment infrastructure, the hospital also plans to establish integrated support programs for the psychological recovery and daily life reintegration of cancer patients, as well as prevention and rehabilitation platforms, thereby designing a cancer hospital that supports patients' lives even after treatment.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
