Groundbreaking Ceremony for Taipei Veterans General Hospital BNCT Center: Taiwan Advances Toward World-Class Cancer Treatment

Source: Taipei Veterans General Hospital

 

On August 18, 2025, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) Center at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH), marking a significant milestone in Taiwan’s precision cancer treatment capabilities. The ceremony was supported by a generous donation of NT$1.2 billion from Mr. Huang Min-chi, founder and chairman of Hermes-Epitek Corp., who donated Taiwan-designed full-system accelerator-based BNCT equipment and entrusted Heron Neutron Medical Corp. (Heron) with the project’s implementation.

 

The newly launched center is expected to be completed by 2027 and will establish TVGH as one of the few global medical institutions equipped with both heavy-ion therapy and BNCT technologies, elevating Taiwan’s international competitiveness in cancer radiotherapy, clinical treatment, education, and research.

 

TVGH Vice Superintendent Lee Wei-chiang emphasized the importance of integrating BNCT with longstanding collaborations between TVGH and National Tsing Hua University, noting that Taiwan’s first BNCT clinical treatment began in 2010 and has treated over 600 patients — particularly for recurrent head and neck cancers and brain tumors. BNCT has also shown promising outcomes in treating sarcoma, spinal chordoma, and breast cancer, demonstrating its potential in various oncological applications.

 

BNCT combines targeted therapy and radiation by exploiting the selective uptake of boron-containing drugs in cancer cells, followed by neutron irradiation. This process allows the boron-10 isotope to capture neutrons, producing high-energy particles that destroy tumor cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissues.

 

The establishment of the BNCT Center is not only a major advancement in precision radiotherapy but also symbolizes Taiwan’s transition into a new era of comprehensive, individualized, and high-performance cancer treatment, providing more diverse and advanced options for patients and their families.