Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Yung-Ching Advanced Cancer Center
Phone
Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital International Medical Center
To elevate Taiwan’s standard of medical care, cultivate outstanding healthcare personnel, and provide patients with top-quality medical services, brothers Wang Yung-ching and Wang Yung-tsai, founders of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group, established the non-profit Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in 1976. Today, it stands as Taiwan’s largest and most comprehensive medical service system. Its scope of services encompasses acute and chronic medical care, long-term care, wellness, and medical/nursing education, delivering complete care across all stages of life from childhood to adulthood and old age. As a comprehensive teaching hospital integrating service, education, and research, it has achieved the highest Level-3 Class-A teaching hospital accreditation in Taiwan’s hospital evaluation system.
Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has established an “International Medical Center” on the 1st floor of the Medical Building, offering multi-functional services such as video consultations for international patients, waiting areas for patients and their families, and luggage storage.
Dining and Restaurants
Located on the B1 level of the Medical Building, the food court at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital offers a wide variety of dining options, including bakery pastries, self-serve buffets, Asian cuisine, Western dishes, and fresh fruit juices/beverages to satisfy all your taste buds.
Payment Methods / Payment Options
Treatment Cost Reference:
Because cancer treatment involves a wide range of factors, actual costs are based on individual patient conditions and the physician’s recommended treatment plan.
Payment Methods:
Cash, bank transfer, and credit card payments are accepted.
Recommended Nearby Accommodations
Yung-Ching Advanced Cancer Center at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital introduces advanced proton therapy equipment to provide high-quality cancer treatment solutions.
Unlike conventional radiation therapy, the unique physical characteristic of proton therapy lies in the behavior of the proton beam: as protons pass through tissue, they release only a minimal amount of energy, but upon reaching the depth of the targeted tumor, they release a concentrated peak of energy (known as the Bragg peak), leaving normal tissue beyond the tumor with zero radiation dose.
Yung-Ching Advanced Cancer Center at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital introduces the latest generation of proton therapy equipment, utilizing a fine, pencil-point proton beam to scan the targeted area. This allows the radiation to precisely conform to the shape of the tumor, sparing surrounding healthy tissue to enhance treatment efficacy while reducing side effects. This technique is known as “Pencil Beam Scanning Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy” (PBS-IMPT).
Currently, our hospital is equipped with three proton therapy treatment rooms, all fully featuring the most advanced Pencil Beam Scanning Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy (PBS-IMPT).
Proton Therapy
Proton therapy is currently the world’s most advanced cancer radiation therapy technology. It causes significantly less damage to the normal tissues surrounding the lesion, resulting in relatively fewer side effects.
Indications for Proton Therapy
Brain tumor, ocular melanoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, sinonasal cancer, oral cavity cancer, salivary gland cancer, hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, gynecological cancers, prostate cancer, genitourinary tumors, colorectal cancer, malignant sarcoma, leukemia, and lymphoma.
*Treatment methods and plans are subject to diagnosis and evaluation by specialist physicians.
Strengths and Features of the Proton Center
The Proton Therapy Center provides advanced, customized radiation therapy technologies, including Pencil Beam Scanning Intensity-Modulated Proton Therapy (PBS-IMPT), Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Respiratory-Gated Radiation Therapy, and Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS). Equipped with a world-leading cyclotron, the center delivers highly precise treatments that concentrate radiation directly on the lesion while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. This results in fewer side effects, shorter treatment courses, and better therapeutic outcomes—allowing patients to maintain their daily quality of life, such as shopping, working, or attending school, after receiving treatment.
- 6-axis, 360-degree full-angle treatment gantry.
- Advanced respiratory-gated radiation therapy technology.
- Implementation of faster beam energy switching.
- Online PET imaging: Enables precise treatment planning through real-time feedback from proton beam PET scan images.
- Equipped with three proton therapy treatment rooms.
- In-beam PET imaging: Delivers precise treatment planning through real-time feedback from proton beam PET scan images.
Proton Therapy Process
The entire proton therapy process includes initial physician evaluation and treatment planning, immobilization mold fabrication, simulation imaging (MRI and CT), production of treatment aids (compensators and brass aperture blocks), computer-assisted treatment planning, and regular follow-up visits after treatment to assess therapeutic efficacy. Patients may also choose to attend follow-up consultations at their original referring medical institution.
- Evaluation: Assess suitability for proton therapy.
- Preparation: Immobilization mold fabrication / simulation imaging (MRI and CT).
- Treatment Planning: Treatment plan generation / fabrication of treatment aids / pre-treatment patient education.
- Treatment: Daily verification X-ray imaging / Begin proton beam irradiation once position is confirmed / Weekly outpatient follow-up during treatment.
- Treatment Completion: Regular outpatient follow-up is required after completing treatment.
Number of Cases and Success Rates
The predecessor of the Proton Therapy Center was the Department of Radiation Oncology at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Since its establishment, the department has treated over 60,000 radiation therapy patients. Success rates vary depending on the patient’s condition, with the intracranial tumor control rate reaching up to 95%.
Source
- Director Yu-Ming Wang – 3D Navigated Proton Therapy: Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Head and Neck Cancer, Esophageal Cancer Leaflet
- Dr. Jen-Yu Cheng – Proton Therapy for Liver Cancer Leaflet
- Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Yong-Ching Proton Center Leaflet
- Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital International Medical Center – Specialty Medical Services Handbook
01.Online Advisory Consultation
Based on the client member’s condition and specific needs, we introduce and recommend medical institutions in Taiwan (such as hospitals and clinics) that best match their treatment requirements, along with relevant information needed for their visits.
02.Provide complete information
Clients are requested to provide medical records relevant to their condition as completely as possible, such as diagnostic certificates and diagnostic reports. If submitted by mail, please ensure backups are made in advance to prevent document loss. If submitted electronically, please make sure the images are clear and readable. Yuanfeng will issue an appointment confirmation within 7 to 10 business days after receiving the client’s request and complete medical documentation.
03.Guidelines for Submitting Medical Records & Appointment Timeline
Based on the medical records provided by the client, we prepare and organize the documentation, complete professional medical translations, and schedule consultations with expert physicians within 3 to 5 business days.
04.Expert Video Consultation Booking
Book appointments with Taiwan hospitals and medical specialists. Upon successful booking, you will receive an appointment confirmation email and an estimated cost statement.
healer guides clients through the online payment process to receive their online consultation link. Taiwanese medical experts then conduct online consultations with VIP members to provide professional medical advice.
05.The hospital provides a detailed medical treatment plan and cost estimate.
Upon the client’s consent, medical travel services to Taiwan will be initiated.
Q1. What is 3D navigated proton therapy?
- Proton Therapy: Uses high-energy proton beams to treat tumors non-invasively.
- 3D Navigated Proton Therapy: Accurately evaluates the proton irradiation target area using 3D navigation while simultaneously assessing the extent of tissue changes during treatment.
- Advantages of Proton Therapy: Proton beams release minimal energy as they enter the body but deposit a concentrated dose of radiation directly at the depth of the tumor (the Bragg peak). Beyond the target tumor depth, there is virtually no radiation dose delivered to normal tissues. This allows for effective tumor eradication while significantly sparing healthy surrounding tissues and reducing treatment side effects.
Q2. What difficulties do traditional radiation therapies face?
To eradicate cancer cells, radiation therapy theoretically requires higher radiation doses to achieve a better chance of tumor clearance. However, the liver is a radiation-sensitive organ susceptible to damage. Consequently, traditional radiation therapy faced a major dilemma: increasing the dose improved treatment success rates, but it simultaneously carried a higher risk of liver failure.
Q3. Why is proton therapy suitable for treating liver tumors?
Benefiting from its physical properties, proton therapy can maximize the protection of healthy liver tissue while escalating radiation doses to liver tumors (as shown below). Current research from both Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and international medical institutions indicates that, compared to conventional photon therapy, proton therapy significantly reduces liver damage, thereby improving survival rates for liver cancer patients. In terms of efficacy, proton therapy achieves a two-year local tumor control rate exceeding 90%, making it a crucial local treatment option for liver cancer.
Q4. How long does a proton therapy treatment course take?
Depending on the specific tumor, the treatment course generally lasts about 2 to 8 weeks, typically administered once a day, 5 days a week, with each session lasting approximately 20 to 40 minutes. If pediatric patients require anesthesia, the duration will be longer. Once treatment begins, patients feel no pain or discomfort, and no residual radiation remains in the body.
Q5. Are all tumors suitable for proton therapy?
Not all patients are suitable for proton therapy. To avoid delaying treatment, please consult your physician for a professional evaluation at an outpatient clinic. Every medical treatment has its limitations; proton therapy is a form of radiation therapy and cannot completely replace chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or surgery. Patients should maintain reasonable understanding and expectations regarding its outcomes.
Q6. How to schedule a second opinion consultation?
Please directly contact our medical travel consultants to assist you with integrating your medical information and scheduling a consultation.
Source
- Director Yu-Ming Wang – 3D Navigated Proton Therapy: Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Head and Neck Cancer, Esophageal Cancer Leaflet
- Dr. Jen-Yu Cheng – Liver Cancer Proton Beam Therapy Leaflet
- Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Yong-Ching Proton Center Leaflet
- Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital International Medical Center – Specialty Medical Services Handbook