Monaco’s Government is investing in two linear particle accelerators for the radiotherapy department of the Princess Grace Hospital. A linear accelerator customises high energy X-rays to match a tumour’s shape and destroy cancer cells while sparing normal tissue.
There are only two or three such advanced machines in the whole of France, and none in the PACA region, Stéphane Valeri, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, said.
Dr Cécile Ortholan, department head of radiotherapy at Princess Grace since 2011, added: “It’s like going from a small city car to a Ferrari. We can treat tumours for all cancers with greater precision. We treat 400 patients per year in Monaco.”
The Novalis truebeam machines will cost a total of €11 million, and the first is ready to enter service on Monday with the second arriving within a year.