Development and Future of Advanced Radiation Therapy Devices in Korea
Radiation therapy is known as one of the three major cancer treatments along with surgery and chemotherapy. With the recent rapid development of radiation therapy, effective treatments such as destroying only tumor cells while saving normal cells around them are being developed. However, radiation therapy devices are currently monopolized by foreign companies, making it difficult to develop domestic treatment devices. We met with Professor Jang Hong-seok of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, who is the head of the Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, and talked about the need to develop radiation therapy devices in Korea and overcome them.
Q. Medieus Queen: You are a professor of radiation oncology and director of the Advanced Radiation Convergence Medical Technology Institute. Please introduce the major studies that have been conducted so far.
A. Professor Jang Hong-seok of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Catholic Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Jang Hong-seok), I am conducting clinical trials and research on medical devices related to radiation oncology, focusing on the development of the first fusion radiation treatment device in Korea. Currently, we are focusing on the field of cancer treatment research using thermal treatment.
Q. Medieus Queen: What is the current 'development and clinical application technology of the integrated management system for radiotherapy imaging and treatment plan'?
A. Jang Hong-seok: Radiation treatment involves irradiating the human body with high-dose radiation, selectively destroying tumor cells, and protecting the surrounding normal tissues from radiation as much as possible. Treatment and equipment vary depending on the type of tumor, location, and patient's age.
With the recent development of cancer treatment, radiation treatment equipment has also developed rapidly, and cutting-edge radiation treatment devices are being developed and introduced. Each manufacturer of the radiation therapy device uses a different treatment plan system, management system, and operation system, independently, which makes it difficult to integrate and manage the radiation dose to be received by the patient. In addition, human organs have different sensitivity to radiation, thus different acceptable doses should be applied. Therefore, to minimize side effects during radiation therapy, a program that can manage patients' doses in an integrated manner even across different radiation treatment equipment is needed. If this study enables the integration and management of various images and complex and diverse radiation treatment planning systems, it will save time and money, reduce side effects for patients, and maximize the efficiency of radiation treatment.
Q. Medieus Queen: What radiation therapy devices are being developed by the Institute?
A. Jang Hong-seok: Recently, we are developing a fusion radiation therapy device that can diagnose and treat simultaneously by obtaining images of cancer patients in real-time, and checking the location of tumors.
Although the existing linear accelerator is already undergoing radiation therapy with these technologies, our research institute aims to develop an advanced fusion radiation therapy device that can be miniaturized and provide accurate and efficient treatment. To this end, we continue to research and develop 'O-arm CT fusion radiation therapy' equipped with a linear accelerator and a 4D imaging system of X-band type (electromagnetic wave frequency band from 8 GHz to 12 GHz) which is three times higher and lighter than commercial equipment.
Currently, radiation therapy devices are monopolized by large foreign medical device companies and receive expensive royalties, which leads to an increase in medical costs. If advanced convergence radiation therapy devices are developed through domestic technology, the price of medical devices will be lowered along with the balanced development of the medical device market, which relied on full imports, and the burden on patients will be reduced by optimal medical expense. In addition, domestic medical device manufacturing technology will be able to rise to a global level.
Q. Medieus Queen: What was the most difficult job in your research on radiation therapy devices?
A. Jang Hong-seok: Radiation therapy device is an overseas-based technology, and it has not been long since we started researching it in Korea. There are many difficulties in receiving national research funding while competing with other fields, as well as a lack of talent in the field. Moreover, investment in the medical equipment sector is difficult to produce visible effects in the short term, like semiconductors and automobiles, so long-term and continuous state support are needed. And even after the approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, it still requires to pass the evaluation of new medical technology by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
As the medical community has yet to secure reliability for domestically developed medical devices, doctors who actually use the equipment tend to prefer foreign products and patients also want it. To overcome this, I think that support from large domestic companies to change the perception of domestic medical professionals should be prioritized. Domestic-based technology is as advanced as the ones outside, but integration and collective effort is still lacking. The research we are conducting in the institution complements this problem and focuses on the scattered technologies of government-funded research institutes and small and medium-sized medical device manufacturers to develop new advanced medical devices.
Q. Medieus Queen: I'm curious about the establishment of the Advanced Convergence Radiological Technology Research Institute, and the motivation behind it.
A. Jang Hong-seok: We are a research institute established to develop high-tech fusion radiation medical devices. Using the infrastructure of the annex (formerly the Department of Radiological Oncology at Gangnam St. Mary's Hospital), it is composed of professional medical staff and researchers led by medical physicists. Through active exchanges with domestic and foreign industry-academia research institutes, we will establish ourselves as a leading group in the development of fusion radiation medical devices. This infrastructure is very rare in terms of its affiliation with a Radiological Oncology department, which provides an advantage of immediate implementation after animal testing and clinical trials once the device passes the development stage.
In addition, since the research is conducted under the leadership of a radiation oncologist, it is also a great advantage that systems are developed based on the need of patients in clinical practice, and equipment will be able to improve based on quick feedback. In order to conduct such research, various fields such as engineering, science, and medicine must work together. Therefore, a new field of research must be pioneered in which these various technological elements converge and cooperate. With positive results, the equipment produced will be able to replace existing ones at a lower cost, and further improve the quality of treatment to benefit the patients.
Q. Medieus Queen: Please tell us about your research philosophy.
A. Jang Hong-seok: As an Oncologist, I am eager to provide treatments for cancer patients, but in reality, the more advanced technology is used for the treatment, the greater the burden of medical expenses to the patients. We thought that if we can make advanced medical devices in-house, we could reduce the burden on cancer patients and provide more benefits, that’s how we started. I think that if we make quality medical equipment, it will also drive the other global players to lower their prices in the future. Currently, government-funded research institutes and small and medium-sized companies are securing more original technologies than expected, and they are showing a strong desire for research and commercialization. We believe that our establishment provides the best opportunity to develop advanced medical devices by combining the technologies of each institution.
Q. Medieus Queen: As an advisor to the International Virus Research Alliance (IVRA), a joint cooperative for the treatment of COVID-19, you also studied the possibility of immunotherapy for COVID-19 patients through thermal treatment. Please explain the principle of treatment and the effects of anti-cancer thermotherapy.
A. Jang Hong-seok: Firstly, thermal treatment is a treatment that removes cancer cells by applying 42.5 to 43 degrees Celsius of heat to cancer tissues. In addition to the destroying effect of cancer cells, it also influences the patient's immune system so that it will naturally fight against cancer cells, and increase immune responses, therefore killing cancer cells. And when it is carried out with other radiation treatments or chemotherapy, it complements each other and increases the therapeutic effectiveness. In addition, thermal therapy is a nature-friendly treatment, and there are no accumulated side effects unlike conventional chemotherapy even if used repeatedly.
Q. Medieus Queen: Do you have anything else to emphasize on?
A. Jang Hong-seok: As a doctor who treats cancer, I always dream to produce the most essential equipment for patients with cancer, and I created the research institute with the idea to combine technology and equipment to achieve the dream. Just like Steve Jobs, who was not an engineer but still managed to change the IT industry and the ways we live with innovation and creativity, I'm not an engineer or physicist, but as a doctor, I've dreamed of reducing the pain of cancer patients and developing the most effective equipment. To that end, rather than focusing solely on clinical research, I am involved in extensive research and cross functions between the related fields of study. I believe that this will be a great help in developing the most necessary and efficient medical equipment by attempting to converge various industry-academic ties together. Furthermore, it is not only the responsibility of the medical community but also the future development of science in our country and its potential contribution to the economy.
Domestic medical technology already outperforms the U.S. on average, as well as Japan and Europe. Nevertheless, the level of development and manufacture of medical devices and medical supplies still lags far behind that of the U.S., Japan, and Europe. As we enter an aging society, I believe that the development and achievement of medical devices will play a very important role in determining the nation's economy and enhancing its future competitiveness. If we neglect the medical device industry because it does not have a short-term profit, then our future may become uncertain in the next 10 to 20 years.
A. Professor Jang Hong-seok of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Catholic Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (hereinafter referred to as Jang Hong-seok), I am conducting clinical trials and research on medical devices related to radiation oncology, focusing on the development of the first fusion radiation treatment device in Korea. Currently, we are focusing on the field of cancer treatment research using thermal treatment.
Q. Medieus Queen: What is the current 'development and clinical application technology of the integrated management system for radiotherapy imaging and treatment plan'?
A. Jang Hong-seok: Radiation treatment involves irradiating the human body with high-dose radiation, selectively destroying tumor cells, and protecting the surrounding normal tissues from radiation as much as possible. Treatment and equipment vary depending on the type of tumor, location, and patient's age.
With the recent development of cancer treatment, radiation treatment equipment has also developed rapidly, and cutting-edge radiation treatment devices are being developed and introduced. Each manufacturer of the radiation therapy device uses a different treatment plan system, management system, and operation system, independently, which makes it difficult to integrate and manage the radiation dose to be received by the patient. In addition, human organs have different sensitivity to radiation, thus different acceptable doses should be applied. Therefore, to minimize side effects during radiation therapy, a program that can manage patients' doses in an integrated manner even across different radiation treatment equipment is needed. If this study enables the integration and management of various images and complex and diverse radiation treatment planning systems, it will save time and money, reduce side effects for patients, and maximize the efficiency of radiation treatment.
Q. Medieus Queen: What radiation therapy devices are being developed by the Institute?
A. Jang Hong-seok: Recently, we are developing a fusion radiation therapy device that can diagnose and treat simultaneously by obtaining images of cancer patients in real-time, and checking the location of tumors.
Although the existing linear accelerator is already undergoing radiation therapy with these technologies, our research institute aims to develop an advanced fusion radiation therapy device that can be miniaturized and provide accurate and efficient treatment. To this end, we continue to research and develop 'O-arm CT fusion radiation therapy' equipped with a linear accelerator and a 4D imaging system of X-band type (electromagnetic wave frequency band from 8 GHz to 12 GHz) which is three times higher and lighter than commercial equipment.
Currently, radiation therapy devices are monopolized by large foreign medical device companies and receive expensive royalties, which leads to an increase in medical costs. If advanced convergence radiation therapy devices are developed through domestic technology, the price of medical devices will be lowered along with the balanced development of the medical device market, which relied on full imports, and the burden on patients will be reduced by optimal medical expense. In addition, domestic medical device manufacturing technology will be able to rise to a global level.
Q. Medieus Queen: What was the most difficult job in your research on radiation therapy devices?
A. Jang Hong-seok: Radiation therapy device is an overseas-based technology, and it has not been long since we started researching it in Korea. There are many difficulties in receiving national research funding while competing with other fields, as well as a lack of talent in the field. Moreover, investment in the medical equipment sector is difficult to produce visible effects in the short term, like semiconductors and automobiles, so long-term and continuous state support are needed. And even after the approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, it still requires to pass the evaluation of new medical technology by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
As the medical community has yet to secure reliability for domestically developed medical devices, doctors who actually use the equipment tend to prefer foreign products and patients also want it. To overcome this, I think that support from large domestic companies to change the perception of domestic medical professionals should be prioritized. Domestic-based technology is as advanced as the ones outside, but integration and collective effort is still lacking. The research we are conducting in the institution complements this problem and focuses on the scattered technologies of government-funded research institutes and small and medium-sized medical device manufacturers to develop new advanced medical devices.
Q. Medieus Queen: I'm curious about the establishment of the Advanced Convergence Radiological Technology Research Institute, and the motivation behind it.
A. Jang Hong-seok: We are a research institute established to develop high-tech fusion radiation medical devices. Using the infrastructure of the annex (formerly the Department of Radiological Oncology at Gangnam St. Mary's Hospital), it is composed of professional medical staff and researchers led by medical physicists. Through active exchanges with domestic and foreign industry-academia research institutes, we will establish ourselves as a leading group in the development of fusion radiation medical devices. This infrastructure is very rare in terms of its affiliation with a Radiological Oncology department, which provides an advantage of immediate implementation after animal testing and clinical trials once the device passes the development stage.
In addition, since the research is conducted under the leadership of a radiation oncologist, it is also a great advantage that systems are developed based on the need of patients in clinical practice, and equipment will be able to improve based on quick feedback. In order to conduct such research, various fields such as engineering, science, and medicine must work together. Therefore, a new field of research must be pioneered in which these various technological elements converge and cooperate. With positive results, the equipment produced will be able to replace existing ones at a lower cost, and further improve the quality of treatment to benefit the patients.
Q. Medieus Queen: Please tell us about your research philosophy.
A. Jang Hong-seok: As an Oncologist, I am eager to provide treatments for cancer patients, but in reality, the more advanced technology is used for the treatment, the greater the burden of medical expenses to the patients. We thought that if we can make advanced medical devices in-house, we could reduce the burden on cancer patients and provide more benefits, that’s how we started. I think that if we make quality medical equipment, it will also drive the other global players to lower their prices in the future. Currently, government-funded research institutes and small and medium-sized companies are securing more original technologies than expected, and they are showing a strong desire for research and commercialization. We believe that our establishment provides the best opportunity to develop advanced medical devices by combining the technologies of each institution.
Q. Medieus Queen: As an advisor to the International Virus Research Alliance (IVRA), a joint cooperative for the treatment of COVID-19, you also studied the possibility of immunotherapy for COVID-19 patients through thermal treatment. Please explain the principle of treatment and the effects of anti-cancer thermotherapy.
A. Jang Hong-seok: Firstly, thermal treatment is a treatment that removes cancer cells by applying 42.5 to 43 degrees Celsius of heat to cancer tissues. In addition to the destroying effect of cancer cells, it also influences the patient's immune system so that it will naturally fight against cancer cells, and increase immune responses, therefore killing cancer cells. And when it is carried out with other radiation treatments or chemotherapy, it complements each other and increases the therapeutic effectiveness. In addition, thermal therapy is a nature-friendly treatment, and there are no accumulated side effects unlike conventional chemotherapy even if used repeatedly.
Q. Medieus Queen: Do you have anything else to emphasize on?
A. Jang Hong-seok: As a doctor who treats cancer, I always dream to produce the most essential equipment for patients with cancer, and I created the research institute with the idea to combine technology and equipment to achieve the dream. Just like Steve Jobs, who was not an engineer but still managed to change the IT industry and the ways we live with innovation and creativity, I'm not an engineer or physicist, but as a doctor, I've dreamed of reducing the pain of cancer patients and developing the most effective equipment. To that end, rather than focusing solely on clinical research, I am involved in extensive research and cross functions between the related fields of study. I believe that this will be a great help in developing the most necessary and efficient medical equipment by attempting to converge various industry-academic ties together. Furthermore, it is not only the responsibility of the medical community but also the future development of science in our country and its potential contribution to the economy.
Domestic medical technology already outperforms the U.S. on average, as well as Japan and Europe. Nevertheless, the level of development and manufacture of medical devices and medical supplies still lags far behind that of the U.S., Japan, and Europe. As we enter an aging society, I believe that the development and achievement of medical devices will play a very important role in determining the nation's economy and enhancing its future competitiveness. If we neglect the medical device industry because it does not have a short-term profit, then our future may become uncertain in the next 10 to 20 years.
#Interview #RadiationOncology #ConvergenceRadiationTreatmentDevice #RadiationTreatment #HeatTreatment #RadiationTreatmentDevice #IVRA #InternationalVirusResearchCooperation #AdvancedRadiationMedicalTechnicalResearchInstitute
 |
CEO 박보현
메디컬 커머셜 플랫폼, 메디우스 (주)비앤에이치코리아 대표이사
국내최고 디지털마케팅 전문가
[월간 CEO&] 의료전문 컬럼니스트
인터뷰 문의:sales@bnhkorea.co.kr
|