Proton beam radiotherapy: report of the first ten patients treated at the "Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica (CNAO)" for skull base and spine tumours.

Purpose The Italian National Centre for Oncological Hadrontherapy (Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica, CNAO), equipped with a proton and ion synchrotron, started clinical activity in September 2011. The clinical and technical characteristics of the first ten proton beam radiotherapy treatments are reported.