China's Heavy Ion Technology Birthplace Wuwei Makes Another Appearance in the Capital

China's Heavy Ion Technology Birthplace Wuwei Makes Another Appearance in the Capital

"Golden" Wuwei, "Beijing" New Journey — Wuwei Cold and Arid Agriculture Four "Golden Signboards" Release and Beijing‑Tianjin‑Hebei Investment Promotion Conference Successfully Held in Beijing

Editor's Note: After ten years of construction and six years of clinical practice, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has delivered an inspiring "Chinese answer sheet." The Wuwei Heavy Ion Center was officially put into operation in March 2020, and the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center opened in November 2024, establishing a globally unique "one body, two wings" dual‑center linkage pattern between Wuwei and Lanzhou. The hospital has developed nine globally leading heavy ion diagnostic and treatment technologies and has taken the lead globally in conducting nine exploratory heavy ion treatment programs for benign diseases. It has compiled and published nine professional monographs on heavy ion technology, filling multiple gaps in the standardization of heavy ion medicine in China. To date, the Wuwei and Lanzhou centers have completed treatment for 3,238 patients with benign and malignant diseases. Patients come from all provinces and municipalities across China, as well as from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and more than ten countries including Russia, Malaysia, Australia, and South Korea. Patients treated across different clinical stages have achieved satisfactory outcomes. More remarkably, for over 100 diseases — including glioblastoma and pancreatic cancer — that are difficult to treat effectively with other methods, the survival of most patients has doubled. With heavy ion technology as its core, the hospital has extended its industrial chain to build China's first heavy ion wellness town, promoting the expansion of cutting‑edge medicine into whole‑life‑cycle health services, and continuously advancing the leapfrog development of domestically produced heavy ion technology to provide Chinese solutions for cancer patients worldwide.

On September 18, the "Golden" Wuwei, "Beijing" New Journey — Wuwei Cold and Arid Agriculture Four "Golden Signboards" Release and Beijing‑Tianjin‑Hebei Investment Promotion Conference grandly opened at the Beijing Xinfadi International Agricultural Products Exhibition Center. At the conference, Ye Yancheng, President of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, delivered a special presentation titled Introduction to China's First Heavy Ion System and the Wellness Industry. Grounded in Wuwei's excellent ecological environment, its unique cold and arid wellness resources, and its foundation for integrated medical‑wellness development, the report systematically introduced Wuwei's green health industry development landscape, with a focus on emerging tracks and cooperation opportunities such as medical‑agricultural synergy, ecological wellness, and health consumption — showcasing Wuwei's unique advantages and development potential in empowering the broader health industry through its ecology.

As the birthplace of China's heavy ion therapy technology, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital is the only hospital in the world operating two heavy ion therapy systems simultaneously. It has innovatively established a "dual‑center collaboration, dual‑engine drive" development framework, achieving optimized integration of treatment resources and iterative upgrading of technological capabilities, significantly enhancing heavy ion treatment capacity, service reach, and regional medical influence. In terms of treatment efficiency, the center has performed the highest number of single‑fraction, same‑day treatments of any heavy ion center worldwide, substantially shortening treatment cycles and reducing physical and emotional burdens for patients. In terms of technological breakthroughs, it has pioneered "precision heavy ion therapy under ventilator control," "bladder cancer treatment with precise bladder capacity management," and "single‑session treatment using surgically implanted spacers between organs and tumors." Each innovation represents the dedicated work of the clinical and research teams, opening new hope for patients with complex conditions. In terms of equipment development, it has created China's first 360‑degree rotatable, height‑adjustable ion radiotherapy chair, providing essential hardware support for precision treatment. In terms of expanding treatment boundaries, it has performed the world's first cases of heavy ion therapy for cardiac tumors and pioneered a "heavy ion therapy + whole‑life‑cycle physical and mental health management" model, achieving a profound shift from "technological cure" to "comprehensive care," leading innovation in both heavy ion medical treatment and service models.

As China's first specialized wellness base centered on heavy ion technology, the town covers a total area of 2,865 mu (approximately 191 hectares) with a planned construction area of 338,000 square meters. Built on the deep technical expertise of the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, it has established a comprehensive wellness service matrix integrating heavy ion therapy, rehabilitation, health check‑ups, cultural tourism, and employee wellness retreats. The town is currently advancing efforts to achieve national 4A‑level tourist attraction status. Notably, the town is equipped with China's first domestically produced heavy ion therapy system, seamlessly integrating cutting‑edge medical technology with accessible wellness services. It has also innovatively developed a "three‑carriage" service model characterized by "10‑S" physical and mental sleep therapy, personalized health check‑ups, and comprehensive whole‑life‑cycle wellness management — forming a multi‑dimensional health defense system for the public.

From the medical breakthrough of precision heavy ion cancer treatment to the business model innovation of the integrated medical‑wellness town, Wuwei is leveraging its advantages as the birthplace of domestically produced heavy ion technology to continuously connect the entire chain of "precision treatment – rehabilitation – health management." Rooted in the fertile land of the Hexi region and with a vision spanning the nation and the world, the hospital is empowering the broader health industry through hard‑core medical innovation, continuously enriching the connotation of China's heavy ion diagnosis and treatment solutions, and striving to create a demonstration model for the coordinated development of domestically produced particle medicine and ecological wellness — injecting powerful western strength into the development of a Healthy China.

Writer: Guo Yishan

First Review: Duan Shengyu

Second Review: Guo Yishan

Third Review: Cai Qinghua