As a strategically important region for the nuclear industry in Northwest China, Gansu Province possesses abundant resources and a strong industrial foundation. In recent years, the provincial government has identified the nuclear industry as a key pillar sector and is vigorously promoting the development of a full‑industry‑chain ecosystem. Medical nuclear technology has become a critical driver of industrial transformation and a cornerstone of building a "science‑and‑technology‑strong province" and a "Healthy Gansu."

On June 27, the "National Renowned Expert Health Lecture," hosted by the Lanzhou Campus of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital (Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center), was successfully held in the Student Activity Center Auditorium at Lanzhou University's Chengguan Campus. Professor Xia Tingyi, a distinguished CNNC‑appointed expert and a well‑known radiation oncologist, was invited to deliver a lecture titled "Promoting Fair and Equitable Access to the Advantages of Tumor Radiotherapy Models." From a public science education perspective, Professor Xia first outlined the development of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine, explaining the principles of conventional radiotherapy, heavy ion therapy, and radionuclide therapy. Drawing on extensive clinical cases and publicly available comparative efficacy data, he illustrated the irreplaceable role of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine in clinical practice. From both physical and biological perspectives, he elucidated why radiotherapy offers high precision, low toxicity, and the ability to preserve normal organ function. Through systematic evidence‑based analysis, he demonstrated that radiotherapy — and particularly heavy ion therapy — provides superior clinical outcomes for solid tumors such as glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer, and is comparable or superior to surgery in extending survival and improving quality of life.

A total of over 2,000 attendees, including representatives from provincial and municipal government agencies, universities, community organizations, and patient groups, participated in the event.

wuwei

In recent years, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has actively seized the strategic opportunity presented by the province's nuclear industry development. It has focused on expanding the heavy ion medical industry, establishing a collaborative "Lanzhou‑Wuwei dual‑center" framework to strengthen and scale up heavy ion medical services across Gansu. To date, the two centers have completed over 3,000 cases of heavy ion therapy, serving patients from all provinces in China and attracting patients from Belgium, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Canada, Jordan, Serbia, and other countries. The hospital has become a key gateway for China's heavy ion therapy technology to reach the global stage.

Building on this foundation, the hospital has further extended its medical nuclear technology value chain by establishing high‑standard, specialized nuclear medicine departments in both Wuwei and Lanzhou, creating a comprehensive nuclear medicine diagnosis and treatment system that integrates the complementary strengths of precision heavy ion radiotherapy and targeted nuclear medicine therapies.

wuwei

Professor Ye Yancheng Hosting the National Renowned Expert Health Management Lecture

wuwei

Professor Xia Tingyi Delivering a Lecture Titled Promoting Fair and Equitable Access to the Advantages of Tumor Radiotherapy Models

The Department of Nuclear Medicine at Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital was established in 1983. It was the first nuclear medicine department in Wuwei and, in western Gansu, offers the most comprehensive range of radionuclide therapies. The hospital is equipped with a GE Discovery 710 Super‑Iterative PET‑CT — the fourth PET/CT in Gansu Province and the only one in a prefecture‑level city hospital — along with a GE Hawkeye 4 dual‑probe SPECT, forming a robust molecular imaging diagnostic system. Leveraging its advanced equipment and in‑house radiopharmaceutical preparation platform, the department has maturely implemented a wide range of radionuclide diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including ¹³¹I therapy for hyperthyroidism, ⁹⁰Sr‑⁹⁰Y radionuclide applicator therapy for keloids and hemangiomas, ⁸⁹Sr therapy for bone metastases, ¹²⁵I seed implantation, ¹³¹I therapy for differentiated thyroid cancer, and ⁹⁰Y resin microsphere interventional therapy for liver cancer — benefiting over 10,000 patients to date. The hospital successfully performed the first domestically produced Yttrium‑90 microsphere interventional procedure for liver cancer in the Gansu‑Qinghai‑Ningxia‑Xinjiang region, ushering in a new era of precision radionuclide intervention for liver cancer in the region. The recent introduction of ²²³Ra therapy brings new hope to patients with advanced bone metastases; ¹⁷⁷Lu therapy will offer another major benefit for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. In the future, the successive implementation of new targeted radionuclide therapies — such as ²²⁵Ac‑based targeted therapy and ²¹¹At astatine‑targeted radiotherapy — will elevate radionuclide therapy in Gansu Province to a nationally advanced level.

wuwei

¹³¹I therapy for hyperthyroidism

wuwei

⁹⁰Sr‑⁹⁰Y radionuclide applicator therapy

wuwei

⁸⁹Sr therapy for bone metastases

wuwei

¹²⁵I seed implantation therapy

wuwei

⁹⁰Y resin microsphere interventional therapy

wuwei

Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center

wuwei

Lanzhou heavy ion treatment cabin

The Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center, building on the mature experience of the Wuwei campus accumulated over more than thirty years, has introduced a United Imaging uMI Vista high‑end digital PET‑CT system. This has enhanced both clinical application and research capabilities in the diagnosis and treatment of tumors, cardiac diseases, and neurological disorders. In addition, the center has entered into a strategic collaboration with Lanzhou Second People's Hospital to jointly establish a PET‑CT diagnosis and integrated nuclear medicine demonstration center in the provincial capital. The department is capable of performing a full range of radionuclide diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including those using ¹³¹I, ⁸⁹Sr, ¹²⁵I, ²²³Ra, ¹⁷⁷Lu, ⁹⁰Sr‑⁹⁰Y, and ⁹⁰Y, offering a comprehensive and well‑established technical system.

wuwei

uMI Vista

wuwei

Radiation Therapy Center

Professor Xia Tingyi's lecture was a vivid reflection of the alignment between Gansu Province's nuclear industry development strategy and the hospital's high‑quality nuclear medicine development plan. With years of full‑chain infrastructure and accumulated expertise in both hardware and software, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has become a national benchmark demonstration base for heavy ion radiotherapy and nuclear medicine. Through continuous clinical practice, technological innovation, and collaborative platform development, the hospital is empowering industrial upgrading and providing strong support for enhancing the quality and scale of Gansu's nuclear industry, as well as for building a complete medical nuclear industry chain.

Conference Highlights

wuwei