# QST Hospital (National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology)

Source: https://onco.cc/institutions/qst-hospital/  
OnCo record `qst-hospital` (Institution). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The world's first carbon-ion therapy hospital (HIMAC, 1994), which established the clinical evidence base for heavy-ion radiotherapy.

## Summary

QST Hospital, formerly the National Institute of Radiological Sciences hospital, began treating patients with carbon ions at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC) in 1994, the first dedicated medical heavy-ion facility. Over three decades it has treated more carbon-ion patients than any other centre, developed hypofractionated protocols for prostate, lung, liver, pancreatic, bone and soft-tissue sarcoma and head and neck tumours, and pioneered scanning beam delivery, respiratory gating and the rotating gantry now used in newer facilities. The institute leads Japan's quantum-scanning carbon-ion programme, radiopharmaceutical research including astatine-211 targeted alpha therapy, and international training for centres in Europe and Asia.

## Fields

- Kind: Institution
- Last checked: 2026-09-09
- Also known as: NIRS Hospital; HIMAC; QST病院
- City: Chiba, JP
- Type: research-institute
- Website: https://www.qst.go.jp/

## Sources

- QST Hospital (page moved; nearest live section): https://www.qst.go.jp/
- QST: https://www.qst.go.jp/site/qst-english/
- PTCOG: particle therapy facilities in operation: https://www.ptcog.site/index.php/facilities-in-operation-public

## Connected records

- cancers: [Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/head-and-neck/), [Hepatocellular carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/hcc/), [Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/pancreatic/), [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/), [Sarcomas (soft tissue, bone, GIST)](https://onco.cc/cancers/sarcoma/)
- fronts: [Radiation Therapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/radiation/), [Radiopharmaceuticals & Theranostics](https://onco.cc/fronts/radiopharma/)
- technologies: [Carbon-ion synchrotrons and facilities](https://onco.cc/technologies/carbon-ion-synchrotrons/), [Carbon-ion therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/carbon-ion/), [Targeted alpha therapy](https://onco.cc/technologies/targeted-alpha-therapy/)
- institutions: [Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center](https://onco.cc/institutions/gunma-heavy-ion-medical-center/)
- terms: [Alpha vs beta emitters](https://onco.cc/terms/alpha-vs-beta/)
- people: [Hitoshi Ishikawa](https://onco.cc/people/hitoshi-ishikawa/)
- companies: [Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions](https://onco.cc/companies/toshiba-energy-systems/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/qst-hospital.json