site.btaCERN Will Support Technologically Establishment of Regional Centre of Hadron Therapy in Bulgaria

CERN Will Support Technologically Establishment of Regional Centre of Hadron Therapy in Bulgaria

Sofia, March 24 (BTA) - CERN will support technologically the idea about the establishment of a centre of hadron therapy in Bulgaria, CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti said at a news conference with Minister of Education and Science Nikolai Denkov.

The establishment of such centre is an idea, developed for some years now by Assoc. Prof. Leander Litov of the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia and scientists of the Institute of Nuclear Research with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The centre will be related to a new generation of hadron accelerators, which are highly efficient in the treatment of tumors. The centre will be unique and will be used as medical centre for the treatment of malignant diseases. However, it will also be a research point for new detectors in medicine and new medical studies, related to this new type of radiation and treatment.

This is a long-term project: preparatory work will take two years, the construction - six years and a return of investments is expected at the 10th year. The project's worth is set at around 230 million euro and, therefore, appropriate financing should be found. A business plan envisaging public-private partnership, return and long-term development goals was developed last year. The preparation of the project is at an advanced stage: talks have been carried out with banks. On Thursday, the idea was presented before President Rumen Radev and caretaker Prime Minister Ognyan Gerdjikov.

There are two hadron therapy facilities in Bulgaria: in Italy and in Austria.

"If Bulgaria succeeds in performing the necessary preparatory work, CERN will be very happy to provide medical technologies and equipment for the centre," CERN Director-General Gianotti said.