I-Chun Lai

I-Chun Lai, M.D. Ph.D.

Attending Physician, Department of Heavy Particles and Radiation Oncology
Organization: Taipei Veterans General Hospital
Nationality: Taiwan
Email: ichunlai.tvgh@gmail.com

Brief Introduction

Dr. I-Chun Lai is an Attending Physician at Taipei Veterans General Hospital and an Assistant Professor at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Her work focuses on the multidisciplinary management of pancreatic cancer, particularly the clinical application of carbon-ion radiotherapy for unresectable disease. She has been actively involved in the development and clinical implementation of carbon-ion therapy for pancreatic cancer in Taiwan. Her research on carbon-ion radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer has been presented at major international conferences, including ASTRO and PTCOG, and published in leading journals such as Radiotherapy and Oncology. Her research aims to advance precision treatment and improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Specialty

  • Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT), SBRT, VMAT, and Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS)
  • Multidisciplinary management of pancreatic cancer and hepatobiliary malignancies
  • Precision oncology, cancer immunotherapy, tumor biology, and translational cancer research

Education

  • 2023.01: Ph.D., The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  • 2008.06: M.D., School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan
  • 2003.01: Bachelor, Psychology, National Taiwan University

Experience

  • 2023.01 – Present: Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
  • 2016.04 – Present: Attending Physician, Department of Heavy Particles and Radiation Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
  • 2016.02 – 2023.01: Lecturer, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
  • 2012.10 – 2016.03: Fellow Physician, Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
  • 2009.09 – 2012.09: Resident, Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan
  • 2008.09 – 2009.08: Resident, Department of Radiation Oncology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan

Selected Publications

  1. Lai IC, Kang YM, Wu YH, Hu YW, Huang PI, Lin YJ, Lee MJ, Shyr YM, Li CP, Wang SE, Chen MH, Chiang NJ, Hung YP, Lin KH, Hsu SJ, Yu HY, Lin YF, Liu YM, Lan KL. Carbon ion therapy for pancreatic cancer with risk-adapted dose escalation: initial clinical experience. Radiother Oncol. 2025 Oct 30;214:111238.
  2. Peng TC, Lai IC*, Lee CC, Wu HM, Lin CJ, Yang HC. Stereotactic radiosurgery for anterior cranial fossa dural arteriovenous fistulas. J Neurosurg. 2024 Sep 27:1-8.
  3. Lai IC, Liao CH, Hu MH, Chang CL, Lai GM, Chiou TJ, Hsia S, Tsai WL, Lin YY, Chuang SE, Whang-Peng J, Chen HY, Yao CJ. Selenium Yeast and Fish Oil Combination Diminishes Cancer Stem Cell Traits and Reverses Cisplatin Resistance in A549 Sphere Cells. Nutrients. 2022 Aug 7;14(15):3232.
  4. Wang YC, Chiang NJ, Hung YP, Lai IC, Lin SC, Li AF, Yu HY, Chao Y, Kung CY, Huang KH, Fang WL, Chen MH. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy for stage III gastric cancer: A differential role in R0 and non-R0 resection. J Chin Med Assoc. 2025 Dec 30.
  5. Peng TC, Hsieh MH, Lin CF, Kuan AS, Lee CC, Wu HM, Lai IC, Yang HC. Repeated stereotactic radiosurgery for high grade meningioma. J Neurooncol. 2025 Nov;175(2):687-695.
  6. Ho HH, Yang HC, Yang WX, Lee CC, Wu HM, Lai IC, Chen CJ, Peng SJ. Deep learning for automated segmentation of radiation-induced changes in cerebral arteriovenous malformations following radiosurgery. BMC Med Imaging. 2025 Jul 1;25(1):218.
  7. Chou CJ, Yang HC, Lee CC, Jiang ZH, Chen CJ, Wu HM, Lin CF, Lai IC, Peng SJ. Auto-segmentation of cerebral cavernous malformations using a convolutional neural network. BMC Med Imaging. 2025 May 26;25(1):190.
  8. Yang HC, Peng TC, Chen ZH, Lee CC, Wu HM, Lai IC, Chen CJ, Peng SJ. Deep learning for automated segmentation of brain edema in meningioma after radiosurgery. BMC Med Imaging. 2025 Apr 22;25(1):130.
  9. Lan TL, Shiau CY, Wang LW, Liu YM, Chen YW, Huang PI, Hu YW, Lai IC, Wu YH, Lai TY, Kang YM, Yang WC, Lin YJ, Pan YY, Chiu CC, Liu CS, Hsieh TS, Lee JC, Lin FY, Chan CH, Lin HC, Lan KL. Feasibility and safety of Taipei Veterans General Hospital Heavy Ion Therapy Center: The first carbon-ion irradiation facility in Taiwan. J Chin Med Assoc. 2025 Mar 1;88(3):196-204.
  10. Lai TY, Hu YW, Wang TH, Chen JP, Shiau CY, Huang PI, Lai IC, Liu YM, Huang CC, Tseng LM, Huang N, Liu CJ. Estimating the risk of major adverse cardiac events following radiotherapy for left breast cancer using a modified generalized Lyman normal-tissue complication probability model. Breast. 2024 Oct; 77:103788.
Carbon Ion Radiotherapy experience in Taipei Veterans General Hospital
I-Chun Lai
Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Background and Aims:
Unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains associated with poor prognosis and limited durable local treatment options. Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT), with its favorable dose distribution and enhanced biological effectiveness, enables intensified local treatment while minimizing exposure to surrounding normal tissues. This study evaluated clinical outcomes following definitive CIRT in patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Methods:
Between April 2023 and Jul 2026, 235 patients with histologically confirmed pancreatic adenocarcinoma received definitive carbon-ion radiotherapy. Among them, 174 patients with sufficient follow-up were included for outcome analysis. All analyzed patients were considered inoperable at the time of treatment. Carbon-ion radiotherapy was delivered in 12 fractions using image-guided treatment with respiratory motion management. Dose prescription was stratified according to tumor extent and regional risk features, with escalated doses of 60–66 Gy(RBE) delivered to metabolically active regions and tumor–vessel interfaces, 55.2 Gy(RBE) to gross disease, and 43.2 Gy(RBE) to subclinical areas. Overall survival (OS), local failure–free survival (LFFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis–free survival (DMFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results:
With a median follow-up of 16.9 months, median OS and LFFS were not reached. Encouraging overall survival and durable local control were observed following CIRT, while distant metastasis remained the predominant pattern of disease progression. In addition, a subset of patients subsequently underwent surgical resection after treatment, with a high rate of margin-negative resection and favorable pathological responses observed in selected cases. Treatment was well tolerated, with minimal side effects.

Conclusions:
Definitive carbon-ion radiotherapy provides encouraging survival outcomes and excellent local control with tolerable side effects in patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Conversion to surgical resection was achieved in a subset of patients, supporting the role of CIRT as a robust local treatment modality within multidisciplinary management strategies and highlighting its potential to facilitate downstream surgical options in selected patients.