Thai Health Ministry Delegation Tours Lanzhou Heavy Ion Hospital

Delegation from Thailand's Ministry of Public Health Conducts In-Depth Visit to Lanzhou Heavy Ion Hospital

On September 6th, Tawesin Visanuyothin, Director-General of the Department of Medical Services under Thailand's Ministry of Public Health, led a delegation to visit the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center at Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital. The delegation conducted an on-site investigation into the clinical operation and management experience of heavy ion radiotherapy technology.

The symposium was presided over by Cai Qinghua, Vice President of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital. The event was attended by medical departments including Li Xiaojun, Vice President of the Lanzhou campus; Zhang Qiuning, Vice President; Meng Wanbin, Director of the Radiation Physics Department; and Li Wanguo, Director of the Radiotherapy Technology Department.

In her opening address, Vice President Cai Qinghua extended a sincere welcome to the visiting Thai leaders and experts. She stated that since its establishment, the hospital has remained committed to cancer prevention and treatment, playing a significant role in the nation's medical development. She noted that China and Thailand have a long history of friendly cooperation in the healthcare sector and expressed hope that this exchange would open new avenues for collaboration in advanced radiotherapy technology.

Vice President Li Xiaojun delivered a thematic presentation on the overall development of the hospital and the progress of the heavy ion center, providing a detailed explanation of its journey from project construction and equipment commissioning to formal clinical operation, as well as its current status. The discussion session was conducted in a lively atmosphere, focusing on core technological aspects and operational practices. Thai experts engaged in in-depth discussions with their Chinese counterparts on specific issues, including the principles of heavy ion and proton technologies and their differences in clinical application, the current patient volume and disease type distribution at the center, daily equipment maintenance management and costs, as well as differences in the spectrum of high-incidence cancers between China and Thailand. The Chinese expert team provided comprehensive and detailed responses based on real-world data and practical experience.

This visit has laid a solid foundation for cooperation between the two parties in the field of high-end medical equipment technology. Both sides expressed their anticipation for deeper collaboration in areas such as equipment introduction, personnel training, and clinical research in the future.

Glimpses of the Visit

Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center

Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital is a state-owned public Class-III Grade-A specialized cancer hospital. The Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center, operated by Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, is China's second heavy-ion clinical application center with independent intellectual property rights. Together with China's first heavy-ion treatment system, the country's second heavy-ion cancer treatment system commenced clinical operation at the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center on November 15, 2024. As of now, the center has completed photon and heavy-ion treatments for more than 290 patients, covering various cancer types including lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, and glioma.

The Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center has established an exceptional talent system gathering elites, forming expert workstations led by 50 top industry authorities including Shen Wenjiang, Lifetime Honorary Professor of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Peking University Health Science Center, and Professor Xu Bo, Standing Committee Member of the Chinese Medical Association's Society of Radiation Therapy Oncology. With Professor Wang Junjie, Chairman of the Chinese Medical Association's Society of Radiation Oncology, serving as president, the center is provided with robust technical support for heavy ion therapy.

Meanwhile, the hospital is equipped with a series of cutting-edge medical devices, including the Varian VitalBeam medical linear accelerator, Elekta Infinity four-dimensional image-guided linear accelerator, 3.0T simulation positioning MRI, GE 256-slice high-end CT, and Varian iridium-192 imported afterloader. These hardware facilities have laid a solid foundation for heavy ion therapy, ensuring efficiency and precision throughout the treatment process.

The hospital aims to build a comprehensive, whole-life-cycle cancer treatment system. It has established departments including Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology/Hematology, Surgical Oncology, Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Cancer Rehabilitation, Critical Care Medicine, Digestive Endoscopy Center, Imaging, Laboratory Medicine, Ultrasound Medicine, Blood Bank, and Hematology Center Laboratory. Services provided include photon radiotherapy, chemotherapy, heavy ion therapy, internal medicine, surgical comprehensive treatment, as well as imaging, medical laboratory testing, ultrasound, and bone marrow cell morphology examinations.

Preliminary Review: Liu Wenyu

Final Review: Ma Shuqian