Domestic Heavy Ion System Slashes Treatment Costs by 30% as Hospital Surpasses 1,800 Cancer Cases

Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, which operates two heavy ion therapy centers in Wuwei and Lanzhou, has emerged as the world’s only medical institution running dual heavy ion treatment systems. By March 12, the facilities have collectively treated over 1,870 cancer patients across 40+ tumor types including lung, pancreatic, liver cancers and gliomas, achieving satisfactory clinical outcomes, revealed hospital president Ye Yancheng.

Medical team operating a heavy ion therapy system at Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital (Photo credit: Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital)

As China’s first hospital adopting domestically developed heavy ion equipment, the institution has leveraged technology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Modern Physics to slash infrastructure and operational costs. "Our domestic systems cost half to one-third of imported equivalents, translating to 30% savings for patients," Ye told People’s Daily Health Client. Current treatment fees stand at approximately ¥200,000(RMB) per body site per course, with a 50% discount for secondary sites.

Over five years of clinical operation, the Wuwei center has pioneered several breakthroughs including respiratory-gated carbon ion radiotherapy using high-frequency oscillatory ventilators, and ultra-short treatment protocols requiring only 1-3 sessions for nearly 80 cases. The hospital has successfully treated breast and bladder cancers previously deemed challenging for conventional therapies.

China’s healthcare landscape is poised for expansion in heavy ion therapy, with three new domestic-equipped centers scheduled to open in Zhejiang, Wuhan and Fujian within two years. Under the national 14th Five-Year Plan(2021-2025), at least 49 additional proton/heavy ion facilities will be deployed, ultimately exceeding 60 units nationwide.

Hospital President Ye Yancheng (first left) leading a multidisciplinary tumor board (Source: Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital)

Looking ahead, the hospital is co-developing compact heavy ion systems that could revolutionize accessibility. "Our miniaturized prototype reduces equipment size by 60%, potentially halving both installation costs (from ¥600 million to ¥300 million) and patient fees compared to imported systems," Ye disclosed. A newly engineered rotating chair allows 360-degree tumor targeting while minimizing healthy tissue exposure.

Emphasizing comprehensive cancer care, Ye stressed the integration of heavy ion therapy with systemic approaches: "While effectively controlling localized tumors, we combine it with targeted therapies, immunotherapy, radiopharmaceuticals and traditional Chinese medicine to address metastatic diseases and improve patients’ long-term survival and quality of life."

(Reported by Dong Yingyu, People’s Daily Health Client)