Five Years of Refinement: Upholding China's Pillar in Heavy Ion Therapy

——A Five-Year Chronicle of High-Quality Development at Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital

Five years mark a breakthrough from scratch—from the establishment of China's first domestically produced heavy ion therapy system in the northwest to the formation of a strategic synergy between the dual centers in Wuwei and Lanzhou. Five years embody the bold feat of venturing into uncharted territory—armed with a pioneering spirit, the Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has overcome multiple technological bottlenecks, revolutionizing traditional diagnosis and treatment models with eight globally unprecedented core innovations. Five years reflect a commitment to prioritizing life—rooted in the mission of serving the people, the center has dedicated itself to the clinical frontline, granting over 2,000 patients with complex tumors a new lease on life. Five years demonstrate a responsibility for shared wisdom—driven by dual engines of technological innovation and knowledge dissemination, a series of publications has established the world's first heavy ion medical standard system, transforming research achievements into internationally recognized "Chinese solutions." Five years showcase a vision of openness and shared prosperity—embracing global expertise with an inclusive mindset, the center has fostered deep integration between top-tier expert teams and cutting-edge concepts, creating an international hub for heavy ion medical innovation and etching an indelible "Chinese landmark" in the pursuit of a global community of health for all.

Pioneering Excellence: Forging Multiple Global-First Breakthroughs

Five Years of Steadfast Progress: The Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has continuously broken new ground in technological innovation, achieving multiple "world-first" milestones. As the only hospital globally operating two heavy ion therapy systems, and with the Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center under its management since six months ago, it has established a powerful dual-center synergy, significantly expanding treatment capacity and accessibility.

In treatment technology, the center has relentlessly pushed boundaries:  

• It leads the world in single-session, same-day treatments, drastically shortening therapy cycles and reducing patient suffering.  

• It pioneered breath-controlled precision heavy ion therapy, bladder volume-regulated treatment for bladder cancer, and single-session heavy ion therapy with surgically placed spacers between organs and tumors—each breakthrough a testament to the team’s ingenuity, offering new hope for complex cases.  

• It developed China’s first 360° rotating and height-adjustable ion therapy chair, enhancing precision treatment.  

• It conducted the world’s first successful heavy ion treatments for cardiac tumors and introduced comprehensive, lifelong health management alongside therapy, setting new standards in both technology and patient care.  

To date, the center has treated over 2,000 patients, filling critical gaps in global oncology and emerging as a global benchmark in cancer therapy.

High-Frequency Oscillatory Breathing-Controlled Heavy Ion Precision Radiotherapy

360° Rotating & Adjustable Heavy Ion Therapy Chair

Patient-Centered Innovation: Tiered Pricing Unleashes Universal Access to Heavy Ion Therapy

On the path to making heavy ion medical technology more accessible, the Heavy Ion Center  Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has placed "people's health" at its core, innovating a tiered pricing system to transform cutting-edge medical technology into affordable, widely available healthcare benefits. Leveraging the dual-center synergy between Wuwei and Lanzhou, the center has implemented a "precision care + universal affordability" dual-track model: Wuwei Heavy Ion Center specializes in precision heavy ion therapy for rare cases. It offers a core comprehensive, lifelong health management system that includes free services such as mental wellness support, cultural therapy, rural rehabilitation programs, and specialized physiotherapy, while maintaining its current pricing for heavy ion treatments. Lanzhou Heavy Ion Center has introduced an optimized pricing structure: the first treatment costs 49,500 RMB, with subsequent treatments priced at 16,500 RMB per session. The maximum cost for a full course is capped at 198,000 RMB. This structure is designed to meet diverse patient needs through flexible payment options. Patients covered by major national insurance providers for heavy ion therapy can claim reimbursement at both Wuwei and Lanzhou centers. This innovative model ensures precise allocation and efficient use of medical resources through differentiated positioning—preserving personalized care for complex cases while expanding access to world-leading heavy ion technology for more cancer patients. By shifting heavy ion therapy from "elite exclusivity" to "universal accessibility," the center has pioneered a new development path that harmonizes technological innovation with public healthcare. It serves as a practical model for enhancing China's high-end medical accessibility and advancing the Healthy China initiative.

Research Empowerment: Clinical Studies Fueling Technological Breakthroughs

In the pioneering journey of heavy ion medical technology innovation, the Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has consistently anchored its efforts in clinical research as the core driving force, steadfastly pursuing a trinity development path of "scientific breakthroughs, clinical practice, and translational outcomes" to propel the iterative advancement of heavy ion therapy. Focusing on prevalent cancers such as liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and lung cancer, the center has systematically launched eight clinical research projects on heavy ion therapy. Through an innovative "challenge-based research mobilization" mechanism, it brings together top-tier global research teams to collaboratively tackle key challenges, including treatment protocol optimization, efficacy evaluation system refinement, and complication prevention. As China's trailblazer in heavy ion medical research, the center not only delivers world-class treatment solutions to patients but also reinvests cutting-edge scientific insights back into clinical practice. The Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital Heavy Ion Center will conduct eight clinical studies on heavy ion therapy, covering patients with liver cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer, high-grade gliomas, and head/neck adenoid cystic carcinoma. For participants in these studies, the hospital will provide research funding to expert teams and cover patients' heavy ion treatment costs, achieving dual empowerment of "patient benefit" and "technological breakthrough."  This groundbreaking model dismantles traditional research barriers, accelerating the establishment of nationwide standardized protocols for complex cancers. It facilitates the translation of clinical techniques into guidelines and standardized procedures across multiple cancer types, offering a "Chinese solution" for the global standardization and precision development of heavy ion therapy. Through rigorous clinical research, the center is crafting an era-defining response to safeguarding human health.

Knowledge Compendium: Book Series Empowers the New Journey of Heavy Ion Medicine

In the global dissemination of heavy ion medical technology, the construction and sharing of knowledge systems serve as the core driver for industry innovation. The Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, upholding its mission to "establish industry standards and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge," has meticulously compiled and promoted a series of publications including:  

• Guidelines for Radiation Safety Management and Equipment Operation in Heavy Ion Therapy  

• Standard Operating Procedures for Carbon Ion Radiotherapy

• Physics Volume of the Precision Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Tumors Series

• Technical Volume of the Precision Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Tumors Series

• Physician's Volume of the Precision Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Tumors Series

• TCM Constitution Classification and Health Management  

• Practical Handbook of Oncology Hospital Management Systems  

• Comprehensive Lifecycle Rehabilitation Management for Cancer Patients

• A Comprehensive Perspective on Carbon Ion Therapy for Cancer

These works enable medical professionals to scientifically apply heavy ion therapy and help patients make informed decisions about treatment. Adopting an interdisciplinary, full-chain perspective, the series systematically covers multiple dimensions including physics technical specifications, clinical operation standards, physician treatment guidelines, and health management systems. Not only do they encapsulate the center's five-year core achievements in clinical practice and scientific innovation, but they also fill the gap in standardized knowledge systems within China's heavy ion medical field. These initiatives not only propel China's heavy ion medicine from technological breakthroughs to standard-setting leadership but also inject innovative vitality into global cancer treatment through knowledge sharing, guiding the industry toward a new era of high-quality development.

Global Synergy: Forging a Shared Future in Heavy Ion Therapy

Amidst the tide of global medical collaboration, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital Heavy Ion Center has strategically established an international heavy ion medical alliance network to facilitate cross-regional and interdisciplinary flow of premium medical resources. The center is fully advancing its established Heavy Ion Therapy Alliance and 50 expert workstations, delivering top-tier medical services directly to patients while strengthening the foundation for high-quality development at both Wuwei and Lanzhou centers. This innovative model has not only enabled the efficient allocation of premium medical resources to grassroots levels, but also fostered standardized and regulated development of heavy ion therapy through institutionalized academic exchanges, case studies, and technical collaboration. Through this global alliance network, the center continues to deepen cooperation with world-leading medical institutions, incorporating cutting-edge concepts and innovative technologies to fuel sustainable development. Simultaneously, it provides a "Chinese solution" for coordinated global advancement of heavy ion medicine, demonstrating China's commitment to building a global community of health for all.

Gathering Excellence, Building Talent Leadership in Heavy Ion Medicine

Talent serves as the core engine driving medical technology innovation. With the strategic vision of "gathering global resources to empower Healthy China," the Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital has consistently built an international and diversified matrix of top-tier experts. The center has long engaged renowned professors including Tatsuaki Kanai from Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirohiko Tsujii, former director of Japan's National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Jörg Hauffe, former director of Germany's RPTC Proton Therapy Center Munich, Professor Olga, Yee-Min Jen, former chairman of China's Taiwan's Radiation Oncology Society, Jia-Ming Wu, a distinguished medical physicist from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and the team led by Jun-Jie Wang, chairman of the Chinese Medical Association's Radiation Oncology Society. Recently, the center has further expanded its talent pool by welcoming Yasuo Yoshioka, professor of radiation oncology at Japan's National Cancer Center, György Kovács, director of Germany's Lübeck Brachytherapy Center and academic program director at Italy's Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, and Tung-Ho Wu, professor at China's Taipei Medical University Hospital Proton Center, to join its long-term faculty.  The addition of these world-class experts has forged a comprehensive intellectual think tank spanning the entire heavy ion therapy chain and integrating Eastern and Western expertise, further strengthening the talent matrix. This formidable team not only significantly enhances the academic influence and technological innovation capacity of the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center but also, guided by its "talent-driven institution" strategy, injects powerful momentum into global cancer treatment. In the journey to safeguard human health, it is writing a remarkable chapter.

Professor Tatsuaki Kanai from Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan, and Professor Hirohiko Tsujii, former Director-General of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS), Japan.

Professor Jörg Hauffe, former Director of the Proton Therapy Center Munich (RPTC), Germany, and Professor Olga

Professor Yee-Min Jen​​, former Chairman of the Taiwan Radiation Oncology Society, and ​​Professor Jia-Ming Wu​​, renowned radiation therapy physicist from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan

Professor Junjie Wang, Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association

Five Years of Pioneering Excellence: Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital's Heavy Ion Center has achieved a historic leap from global follower to leader in the fight against cancer. Its multiple "world-first" technological breakthroughs have not only reshaped oncology treatment paradigms but also demonstrated China's formidable medical capabilities and its responsibility as a major nation. Looking ahead, the center remains steadfastly aligned with the "Healthy China 2030" strategy, boldly breaking barriers and spearheading advancements in intelligent, precise, and standardized heavy ion technology development. With a focus on establishing a world-class research hub and perfecting whole-lifecycle healthcare services, it is propelling Chinese standards onto the global stage. Through Chinese wisdom, the center is crafting epoch-defining solutions to safeguard human health, injecting powerful momentum into building a global community of health for all.