BNCT at Tokyo Edogawa Cancer Center

BNCT:
Another Hope
for Cancer

Edogawa Hospital’s BNCT program is the first in Japan used to
treat breast cancer and is now accepting patients from overseas.

Cutting Edge
Cancer Treatment

BNCT is on the cutting edge of radiation cancer therapies. Accelerator-based BNCT like the many of ones offered at Edogawa Hospital are accepted by the Japanese National Insurance and have been proven effective in treating cancers on the head, neck, and skin. Our BNCT team has also successfully treated breast and other cancers outside of JNI coverage, helping to show BNCT’s versatility as a cancer therapy.

Boron
Neutron
Capture
Therapy

What is BNCT?

First developed in the 1950s, BNCT (Boron Neutron Capture Therapy) destroys cancer cells through the use of boron and highly targeted radiation. All the targeted cells are destroyed after a single application of the therapy.

Benefits and Advantages

Unlike other radiation therapies, BNCT can be used to treat recurrent, invasive, and refractory cancers with minimal risk. The process is also shorter than most other cancer therapies, with minimal recovery time and less severe side effects.

BNCT targets cancer cells specifically, meaning that the surrounding healthy cells are not damaged in the same way as conventional radiation therapies using protons or carbon ions.
BNCT has proven particularly effective at treating cancers in the head and neck and on the skin. At Edogawa Hospital, BNCT is being used as part of a pilot program to treat certain types of breast cancer, including cancer that has already been treated with radiation. So far the program has met with great success.

Case Studies

As one of only a few places in the world to practice accelerator-based BNCT, Edogawa Hospital regularly publishes case studies on the effective use of neutron capture therapy. We specialize in BNCT for treating not only cancers of the skin, head, and neck, but also breast cancer particularly in cases where the patient has already received treatment.

Or most recent paper can be found here:
The Effects of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy on the Lungs in Recurrent Breast Cancer Treatment

Treatment Example

STEP 1

Initial Contact and Consultation

For patients who live outside Japan, please contact one of our partnered medical coordination agencies ( found here ). Then we can schedule an initial consulting appointment and confirm that BNCT is the right therapy for you.
STEP 2

Scheduling

After the first appointment, you will work with your medical coordinator and our doctors to schedule your treatment and stay in Japan.
STEP 3

Travel and Treatment

Once your treatment date has been determined you can work out the details of your trip with your medical coordinator and our doctors.
STEP 4

Recovery and Follow Up Treatment

After the therapy you will need to stay in the hospital to ensure a full recovery for a few days. After you have been released you can travel Japan or return to you home country until your next scheduled appointment.

Our Specialists

Nakano Takashi MD, PhD

Head of the Tokyo Edogawa Cancer Center

Dr. Nakano studied medicine at Gunma University, and is an Emeritus Professor at Gunma University. He is a professor at Fukushima Medical University.

He worked as a doctor for over 20 years and has been leading the fields of radiology and particle therapy with his research and management. He has previously been the vice chancellor for Gunma University, the head of Gunma University’s Particle Research Center, and the head of neutron therapy at the Japanese National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (QST).

He has represented Japan at both the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) RCA medical committee and at the Federation of Asian Organizations for Radiation Oncology (FARO), the latter of which he was a founding member and Secretary General.

He has been awarded a Gold Medal by the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology（JASTRO) and a Commendation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs among other awards for his work in radiation medicine.

Itami Jun MD, PhD

Radiation Oncologist, Former Head Radiation Oncology at the National Cancer Center Hospital

After graduating from Chiba University’s medical program and completing his oncology residency at Chiba University Hospital, Dr. Itami entered a second residency at Essen University Hospital in Germany in 1983. He is currently the head of the Shinmatsudo Accuracy Radiation Therapy Center and the advisory doctor for Edogawa Hospital’s BNCT program. He also brought BNCT to the National Cancer Center Japan and has led numerous clinical trials there.

Kurosaki Hiromasa MD, PhD

Head of Radiology Department

Dr. Kurosaki received both his MD and PhD from Gunma University before beginning his practice at Toranomon Hospital. He then became head of the radiology department at Shinjuku Medical Center before joining Edogawa Hospital as Head of Radiology in 2021.

Nakamura Tatsuya MD, PhD

Before joining Edogawa Hospital as head radiologist in 2022, Dr. Nakamura worked at the Achi Prefectural Cancer Center, Southern Tohoku Proton Therapy Center, and the radiology department at IGT Clinic.Dr. Nakamura acquired his medical degree at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine and his PhD at Nagoya University.

Edogawa Hospital

Founded in 1932, Edogawa Hospital is one of the largest general hospitals in eastern Tokyo. We offer state of the art multimodal cancer therapies to Japanese and international patients alike. We treat our patients with radiation therapy, surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy or a combination of therapies.
Our cutting edge BNCT program is one of the few effective treatments for recurrent cancers, in particular, recurrent breast cancer.