Working Group: Advanced Particle Therapy center for the Baltic States

At 9th General Meeting of the CERN Baltic Group (CBG) (12 April 2022) by consensus decision, based on its Memorandum of Understanding, a designated Working Group “Advanced Particle Therapy Center in the Baltic States” has been established. CBG has appointed:
- Prof. Toms TORIMS (Riga Technical University) as a Convener of the Working Group;
- Prof. Diana ADLIENE (Kaunas University of Technology) as a Deputy Convener of the Working Group.

Mandate of the Working Group is to develop and induce CBG flagship project: construction of a large scale clinical particle therapy and scientific research facility in the Baltic States.

The project initiative is developed in close collaboration with experts from CERN Next Ion Medical Machine Study (NIMMS) collaboration.

Currently one of the main goals is to inform and engage all relevant stakeholders from the medical community and scientific research institutions and universities in the Baltic States, as well as the relevant ministries, political stake-holders and relevant international bodies.

To achieve this initial goal the Group has set out the following Tasks:

1. To establish Expert Team composed by medical professionals nominated by professional associations in the fields of radiology, therapeutic radiology, nuclear medicine, medical physics and others, researchers from CBG institutional members and experts of the NIMMS collaboration.
2. To facilitate the work of the Expert Team in order to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed project initiative.
3. To establish Stakeholder Advisory Panel comprised by the relevant stakeholders in political, economical, social and other involved fields, as well as industry partners.
4. To regularly inform Stakeholder Advisory Panel from Expert Team side, with the inclusion in the decision making process and overall development of the project.

Expert Team is composed by institutionally nominated Members from professional associations and research institutions and universities, with the mandate to contribute to development of the overall vision and technical aspects of the project and also to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed facility, driving the relevant conclusions for future developments of the "Advanced Particle Therapy Center in the Baltic States" initiative.

Expert Team (to be extended and completed)

1. Kristaps PAĻSKIS – Riga Technical University/CERN
2. Dr. Maurizio VRETENAR – CERN
3. Assoc. Prof. Brigita ABAKEVIČIENĖ – Kaunas University of Technology
4. Prof. Toms TORIMS (ex-officio) – mandated by the CBG
5. Prof. Diana ADLIENE (ex-officio) – mandated by the CBG
6. Dr. Erika KOROBEINIKOVA - Lithuanian Society for Radiation Therapy
7. Dr. Inesa GESVENTIENE - Lithuanian Society for Radiation Therapy
8. Dr. Roberta MARTISIENE - Lithuanian Society for Radiation Therapy
9. Dr. Maija RADZIŅA - Latvian Society of Radiology
10. Dr. Marika KALNIŅA - Baltic Nuclear Medicine Association

Stakeholder Advisory Panel is composed by interested bodies, decision makers, institutions and associations in political, economical, social and other relevant and related fields, as well as industrial partners involved in the project initiative. Mandate of Stakeholder Advisory Panel is to advise and contribute to development of the project initiative in aspects not covered by Expert Team by being regularly informed of developments in medical, technical and scientific aspects.

Stakeholder Advisory Panel (proposed list - not exhaustive)

Baltic Assembly https://baltasam.org

Professional medical associations
Radiation oncologists
- Lithuanian Society for Radiation Therapy
- Latvian Society of Therapeutic Radiology
- Estonian Society for Clinical Oncology and Estonian Society of Oncology

Medical physicists
- Lithuanian Society of Medical Physicists
- Latvian Medical Engineering and Physics Society
- Estonian Society for Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics

Radiologists
- Lithuanian Radiologists’ Association
- Latvian Society of Radiology
- Estonian Society of Radiology
- Baltic Nuclear Medicine Association

National Cancer Institutions in the 3 Baltic Countries
- National Cancer Institute (Vilnius)
- Tartu University Hospital and North Estonia Medical Centre
- To be National Cancer Centre in Latvia under Riga East Clinical University hospital

National Cancer Institutions in the 3 Baltic Countries
- National Cancer Institute (Vilnius)
- Tartu University Hospital and North Estonia Medical Centre
- National Cancer Centre (to become) in Latvia under Riga East Clinical University hospital

Policy and decision makers
- European Commission
- 3B ministries of science and research
- 3B ministries of healthcare
- 3B ministries of economy
- 3B research councils

Particle therapy projects and clinical/research centres of Europe
- ENLIGHT network and partners
- HITRIplus project community
- PRISMAP project community
- European ion therapy centers: HIT, CNAO, MedAustron, MIT