Domestic Breakthrough! Heavy Ion Hypofractionated Radiotherapy Enters Clinical Application in China (Treatment Course Shortened to 1-5 Sessions)

When you think of tumor radiotherapy, what image comes to mind? Is it patients needing to travel to the hospital daily for treatment over several weeks, or the dual physical and mental strain endured throughout a long treatment cycle?  

Today, we have exciting news to share: the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center at Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has achieved a historic breakthrough—pioneering heavy ion hypofractionated radiotherapy technology in China. This innovation optimizes the traditional radiotherapy process, which typically requires dozens of sessions, to just 1–5 sessions.  

This groundbreaking technology not only marks a leap for our hospital in the field of heavy ion therapy—from "following" to "keeping pace" and now "leading the way"—but also offers cancer patients a more efficient, precise, and patient-centered treatment option.

What is "hypofractionated radiotherapy technology"?

"Hypofractionated radiotherapy" is an advanced treatment concept that significantly reduces the number of treatment sessions by increasing the dose per session while ensuring equivalent total biological effectiveness. Our hospital's heavy ion center has deeply integrated this concept with the unique physical and biological advantages of heavy ion therapy to create a treatment approach tailored for Chinese patients.

Three Major Advantages Showcasing Technological Strength

01 Advantage One: Enhanced Treatment Efficiency, Significantly Reduced Patient Burden  

・Compresses treatment duration from weeks to just a few days or even a single day  

・Significantly reduces the frequency and time cost of hospital visits  

・Lowers non-medical expenses, enabling patients to return to normal life faster  

02 Advantage Two: More Pronounced Biological Effects, Improved Therapeutic Efficacy

・High-dose irradiation delivers stronger tumor-killing effects  

・Particularly effective against cancer cells with weak repair capabilities  

・Can induce "immunogenic cell death" in tumor cells  

・For early-stage lung and liver cancers, local control rates are equivalent to or better than traditional radiotherapy  

03 Higher Precision, Greater Safety

・Fully utilizes the "Bragg peak" physical properties of heavy ions  

・Achieves "targeted destruction" of tumor areas  

・Combined with a 360° rotating and height-adjustable ion therapy chair and MRI navigation tracking technology  

・Treatment accuracy reaches the millimeter level, maximizing protection of healthy tissues

True Case:  

Hope Delivered in a Single Treatment

Ms. Liu (pseudonym), 62, was diagnosed with secondary malignant lung cancer. After undergoing hypofractionated heavy ion therapy at our hospital, she completed the core treatment in just one session, significantly reducing her treatment burden. Currently, she is recovering well.

Cases like Ms. Liu’s are common at our hospital. To date, the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center has completed nearly 2,400 heavy ion treatments, with the number of hypofractionated technology applications ranking first globally.

Looking ahead: continuous innovation  

Serving more patients

The hypofractionated heavy ion therapy technology developed by our hospital has not only gained recognition among domestic peers but has also attracted patients from Belgium, South Korea, Malaysia, and other countries who seek treatment here. This "Chinese solution" is now benefiting cancer patients worldwide, contributing "Wuwei's strength" to the building of a global community of health for all.

As the only medical institution in the world operating two heavy ion therapy systems simultaneously, the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center at Wuwei Cancer Hospital will continue to deepen technological innovation and clinical expansion. We are committed to promoting the large-scale adoption and comprehensive application of single-session hypofractionated heavy ion therapy across a wider range of cancer types. Our goal is to extend the reach of this pioneering Chinese technology to benefit more cancer patients globally, offering both a "Chinese solution" and "Wuwei's strength" to the building of a global community of health for all.