The 63rd Annual Conference of the Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group (PTCOG 63) was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 2–7 June 2025. It was the first time that radiation oncologists, medical physicists, researchers, and industrial partners from around the world gathered in South America to present the current state of particle therapy.
The HITRIplus project was represented through an e-poster and presentations highlighting the networking, communication, dissemination, and outreach activities of the European heavy-ion therapy community coordinated under HITRIplus.
Founded in 1985, PTCOG is a non-profit worldwide organisation of scientists and professionals interested in proton, light-ion, and heavy-charged-particle radiotherapy. It is currently chaired by Prof. Marco Durante, Head of the Biophysics Division at GSI and leader of the Transnational Access pillar of HITRIplus.
PTCOG 63 was the first annual PTCOG conference held in South America, coinciding with the launch of Argentina’s first Proton Therapy Centre.
In total, the conference featured 334 scientific and educational talks, 239 posters, and welcomed 857 participants, including 32 exhibitors.
Among them were HITRIplus partners such as CNAO, GSI, MedAustron, HIT Heidelberg, Cosylab, and SEEIIST, who took the opportunity to strengthen connections with the wider particle-therapy community.
Peter Grübling (SEEIIST) presented the achievements of the HITRIplus Work Package 2 on Networking, Communication, Dissemination, and Outreach.
The contributors reported that since the beginning of the project:
- 190 educational videos have been published,
- 19 online seminars were organised, and
- over 1,550 participants have attended workshops and training courses organised or co-organised by HITRIplus.
PTCOG will continue to serve as a key platform for the HITRIplus community to further develop, exchange, and disseminate advances in heavy-ion therapy.
We look forward to future PTCOG conferences and continued collaboration within the global particle-therapy community.
