“From now on, engineering will advance medical care.”
Developing particle therapy system for cutting-edge cancer treatment.
System Engineering Group, Particle Therapy Design Department, Particle Therapy Design Division, Radiation Oncology Systems Division, Healthcare Business Unit Hitachi, Ltd.
Yuki Ito
Particle beams: Cutting-edge technology for cancer treatment “Someday, cancer will also be cured on an outpatient basis.”
There is a growing possibility that various diseases such as so-called national afflictions and incurable diseases that were once feared can now be brought under control with early treatment. Diseases considered “fatal once contracted” are now being brought under control one after the other, which was surely inconceivable in medical settings a hundred years ago. Significant advances in medical care and engineering were always present behind this. Yuki Ito, who works for Hitachi, Ltd., is one of those involved in “particle therapy” which is said to be at the forefront of cancer treatment. She says, “Someday, I hope cancer can be treated on an outpatient basis as a matter of course like other ordinary diseases.” A “particle beam” is a type of radiation wherein high-energy particles with ionization capabilities flow; and in cancer treatment, beams such as proton beams and carbon ion beams are used. Compared to conventional radiation therapy utilizing X-rays, particle therapy can suppress irradiation to normal cells surrounding cancer cells because it can irradiate a more specific area in a focused way. This reduces the burden and side effects of this therapy on cancer patients, and limits the effects on daily life to the minimum. However, compared to conventional radiation therapy, consumer recognition is low, and it is not as well-known to the average person. Thus, Ito's goal is to popularize the use of particle therapy in Japan and the rest of the world.
Her turning point came when she met her physics teacher. “From now on, engineering will advance medical care.”
While Ito's parents both had science and technology backgrounds, she did not particularly like math and science while she was growing up. She only took an interest in physics, which is the foundation of engineering, when she was a sophomore in high school. She explains, “My physics teacher graduated from Tohoku University, and she showed me that it was fun following mathematical formulas to solve physics problems. The process of being able to understand what I previously did not understand was simply fun.” Ito did not only learn the joy of physics; her teacher told her something that she still remembers to this day. She said, “From now on, aside from doctors, engineering will advance medical care.” Ito, who was then undecided about her course of study, was encouraged by these words, and she resolved to study at Tohoku University's School of Engineering. She was curious about medical robots, so she decided to study at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. During her four years at the department, she spent her days conducting experiments and writing up reports. But she did not yet have a clear vision about her career, so she simply decided to learn about all of the fields she was interested in, and worked hard to acquire all kinds of knowledge. In time, her excellent grades lifted the restrictions placed on students from studying other courses, so she took classes outside her major. She also attended classes conducted entirely in English. To polish her English skills, she studied abroad twice during her undergraduate years. She explains, “The first time, I went to Malta, a small country in Europe. The second time was Christchurch in New Zealand. I attended language classes in the morning, and toured the area with friends whom I got friendly with over there in the afternoon. It was a really fulfilling time for me.”
“If we only had this kind of treatment then...” Making her mind up to be a pioneer of this research.
During the last semester of her junior year, she had to choose her research laboratory. Choosing a laboratory that she will belong to in her senior year meant that she was finally narrowing down her future career. But she thought it out very carefully because she did not want to limit the range of available options in the future or make a wrong choice. Among several laboratories and research topics, only one caught her eye, and it was “Cancer Treatment that's Easy on the Body.” Reading further, she found out that it was research about “particle beams” that can treat cancer without greatly affecting the rhythms of a patient's daily life. She was stunned. Actually, Ito's mother previously had cancer, and was treated for it. She was shocked that her usually brave mother spoke weakly when said “I can't waste my time in the hospital.” Ito says, “I thought to myself, ‘If we only had this kind of therapy then, maybe my mother wouldn't have had to stay long in the hospital, and her cancer could be treated on an outpatient basis.’ I can't turn back time, but I thought if I could do something to advance this research and help cancer patients around the world who are going through tough times in their treatment. This is why I decided to join the Ishii/Terakawa Laboratory.” At the lab, she conducted particle beam experiments day and night using a device called an accelerator which was too large for her to move on her own. An environment such as this was rare in Japan, where undergraduates could freely use such equipment. She says, “I thought if I joined this lab, I'd be able to conduct experiments in the way I envisioned them.” As for graduate school, she chose to study at Tohoku University's Graduate School of Engineering where she experienced presenting her work at conferences and interacting with other universities. Before she knew it, it was time to choose again which path to take, and she had to decide where she would work.
System Engineering Group, Particle Therapy Design Department, Particle Therapy Design Division, Radiation Oncology Systems Division, Healthcare Business Unit Hitachi, Ltd.
Yuki Ito
Graduated from Saitama Prefectural Omiya Senior High School in 2004. Graduated from Tohoku University's Quantum Science Course, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering in 2009. Proceeded to Tohoku University's Department of Quantum Science and Energy Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering. Completed her degree in 2011, and joined Hitachi, Ltd. in April of the same year. Tasked with the design and development of particle therapy system, and continues to work in the same field today.