Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in India becomes Asia’s First and Exclusive Proton Beam Training Institute in association with IBA, Belgium

Chennai, August 18, 2022: Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), the first & only Proton Therapy Centre in South Asia & the Middle East, and Ion Beam Applications (IBA), Belgium, signed an agreement to offer proton therapy training and education for clinicians in Asia and across the globe.

Apollo Hospitals, Asia’s foremost and trusted integrated healthcare services provider, acquired IBA’s Proteus®PLUS proton therapy system and has been successfully treating cancer patients for over three years. Now, with this association, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre will impart knowledge through its advanced training and education program on proton therapy to clinicians.

Announcing the partnership, Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder & Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, said, “An acute need for high quality cancer care and the increasing prevalence of cancer cases in India, was the genesis of Apollo Cancer Centres (ACC), about three decades ago. Ever since, ACC has continually introduced the finest and most advanced cancer care into India, with the most recent being, bringing in Proton Therapy into the region. Furthermore, in keeping with its resolute mission to raise the bar in cancer care for all in need, in association with IBA, the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre is becoming the first of its kind training and education program reference centre in Asia.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Olivier Legrain, Chief Executive Officer at IBA, said, “In the last years, Apollo Hospitals has shown its expertise and motivation in organizing successful training symposia for local and international proton therapy experts’ community. We are looking forward to collaborating with Apollo to provide high-quality training and education to Proton Therapy users in Asia without them traveling to another continent.”

Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd, said, “It was in 2019 that Proton Therapy was introduced at APCC, it was the first ever in South East Asia and Middle East and this was a definitive step ahead in making the world’s most advanced radiation therapy lot more accessible to millions of cancer patients. Since then, in delivering care to hundreds of patients, the stellar teams at APCC demonstrated remarkable expertise in Proton Therapy and the clinical outcomes, underline the acumen. Now, with APCC becoming Asia’s first and exclusive Proton Beam Training Institute in association with IBA, it will provide valued access to clinicians across the world and also be a pivotal contributor to research in Oncology and Proton Therapy.”

Dr. Rakesh Jalali, Medical Director & Head of Radiation Oncology, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, said, “We started the proton cancer centre in India to provide the most advanced cancer treatment available in the world. So far, we have treated patients with various types of tumours. Each patient is selected based on a very intense and rigorous process and approved after discussion in a dedicated site-specific tumour board and peer review process. We have judiciously and consciously made the centre at par with any other major international cancer centre in terms of care, generation of quality data and several innovative educational initiatives. Now, with this collaboration, we’re providing access to clinicians, physicists and therapists from across Asia and the world to avail the opportunity for training and education on contemporary Proton Beam Therapy Practice.”

Apollo Hospitals are ranked amongst the best hospitals world-wide for providing advanced medical services. So far, it has touched the lives of over 200 million patients from 140 countries. The services offered include treatment of patients at the tertiary hospitals; consultation by specialists in hinterlands through tele-medicine, inspiring the young to become high-quality clinicians, and to support nations and business enterprises to build quality healthcare ecosystems. As Asia’s integrated private healthcare services provider, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited consists of Hospitals, Pharmacies, Primary Care & Diagnostic Clinics and Telemedicine units across 50 countries. Apollo Hospitals have expanded its presence via Health Insurance Services, Global Projects Consultancy, Colleges of Nursing and Hospital Management and a Research Foundation with focus on Global Clinical Trials, Epidemiological Studies, Stem Cell & Genetic Research.