ICO in Hospitalet is the first centre in the State to use the SWIFT software in order to improve the accuracy of the treatment with radiation therapy.
Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO) counts on a new brachi-therapy technique (e.g. radiation therapy applied directly on the tumour), more accurate and safer, for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Moreover, it consolidates as a reference centre for Southern Europe and Latin America in training in brachi-therapy thanks to the collaboration agreement signed with the company Nucletron, worldwide leader in this area.

Prostate cancer is the most frequent tumour among men in Spain, before lung cancer and colon-rectal cancer. Nowadays, more than 70% of the diagnosed cases are cured; nearly half of these are treated with radiation therapy (brachi-therapy or external radiation therapy). ICO treats 20% of these tumours with radiation therapy.

Innovate technologically and stimulate training

Through the afore-mentioned agreement ICO and the company Nucletron will collaborate for five years:

1.To develop the clinic use of the new SWIFT software for patients with advanced prostate cancer.

2.To develop the clinic use of brachi-therapy for breast tumours at initial stages, and gynaecologic tumours locally advanced, and head and neck ones.

3.To develop training programmes on new technologies in brachi-therapy addressed to professionals from Spain, Portugal, Southern Europe and Latin America. Thus, ICO becomes a reference centre of the Nucletron technology for Southern Europe.