Argentina’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN – Autoridad Regulatoria Nuclear) has granted the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA – Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica), the Commissioning Licence for the Argentine Proton Therapy Centre (CeArP – Centro Argentino de Protonterapia).
CeArP is the first facility of its kind in Latin America and will offer the most advanced technology for cancer treatment. It comprises a proton accelerator cyclotron, two clinical treatment rooms (one with protons and the other with photons) and a Proton Therapy Research & Development Laboratory (LAIDEP – Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Protonterapia). CeArP will also offer other conventional photon radiotherapy services.
The licence covers the commissioning of the cyclotron, the proton beam transport line and the LAIDEP laboratory, the CeArP sectors that give installation its “Class I” classification due to its associated radiological risk and technological complexity.
The ARM issued the Startup Licence after evaluating that the documentation presented by CNEA complied with the applicable regulations and conducting regulatory inspections during the construction stage to verify the progress of the work, the assembly of equipment and systems and components relevant to safety.
The licence authorises CNEA to conduct technical operating tests from the cyclotron, the proton beam transport line and the LAIDEP laboratory. These will allow fine-tuning of the accelerator equipment and the proton beam transport line, a necessary condition to put the clinical rooms into service, which will occur at a later stage.
During this stage, CNEA will carry out the verification tests of the operation, control and security systems and the training of staff who will perform specific tasks in the installation. The ARN will continue with independent monitoring and verification compliance during the start-up programme, through inspections and reviews at key points.
The Commissioning Licence issued by the ARN is valid for two years, or until obtaining the Operating Licence is issued if it occurs first.
ARN has maintained different exchanges with experts from other regulatory bodies and suppliers of radiotherapy equipment and services in order to share experience and regulatory work with respect to the CeArP.
The Proton Therapy Centre being built in Buenos Aires next to the Nuclear Diagnostic Centre Foundation is a joint project between CNEA, the University of Buenos Aires and construction company INVAP.
