Youth Showcasing Talent: Thesis Proposal Defense Held Successfully for 2024 Postgraduates Supervised
Youth Takes the Stage, Joining Hands with National Key Technologies—The Successful Thesis Proposal Defense for 2024 Graduate Students Supervised by Gansu University of Chinese Medicine Wuwei Cancer Hospital
What innovative sparks emerge when the research visions of young scholars collide with the "National Heavyweight" – the heavy-ion therapy system? On June 30th, an answer was provided at the opening thesis defense for 2024 Master of Public Health students from Gansu University of Chinese Medicine's School of Public Health, held at the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center. Three young graduate students took carbon-ion radiotherapy clinical applications as their research focus. Relying on China's first domestically developed heavy-ion therapy system with independent intellectual property rights and guided by their faculty teams, they embarked on academic pursuits, showcasing a deep integration of "youthful dynamism" and "a nation's major technological asset."
This defense centered on the clinical application of carbon-ion radiotherapy technology in cancer treatment, with participation from experts from both the university and affiliated hospitals, as well as the defending students. The defense committee was composed of: Prof. Zheng Guisen (PhD supervisor, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine); Assoc. Prof. Wei Xingmin (Master's supervisor, Gansu University of Chinese Medicine); Prof. Liu Yuqin (Chief Physician, Master's supervisor, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center Gansu Hospital); Chief Physician Ma Changying (specially appointed expert, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital); and Deputy Chief Physician Yin Zhaosheng (Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital). Thesis supervisors Prof. Ye Yancheng and Prof. Zhang Yanshan also attended. The session was chaired by Prof. Zheng Guisen.
During their defenses, the three Master's students from Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital presented research focused on the clinical application of carbon-ion radiotherapy:
Zhao Xiaoli, presenting "Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy for Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer", concentrated on lung cancer treatment. By comparing conventional radiotherapy methods, she demonstrated the advantages of carbon-ion radiotherapy in precisely targeting tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue.
Gong Qinli, with "Efficacy and Safety of Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Study", utilized patient data from Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital to explore the value of carbon-ion radiotherapy within breast cancer comprehensive treatment.
Wang Bole, presenting "Efficacy and Safety of Carbon-Ion Radiotherapy for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Based on Single-Center Data and Systematic Literature Review", conducted an in-depth analysis combining Wuwei Cancer Hospital's single-center data with a systematic literature review to assess the treatment's efficacy and safety for pancreatic cancer.
Committee experts raised professional inquiries regarding research design, data sources, and statistical methods. Prof. Liu Yuqin, drawing on her extensive experience in cancer epidemiology, advised students to further refine their analysis of baseline characteristics in the study populations. Assoc. Prof. Wei Xingmin guided students on optimizing data processing methods from a health statistics perspective. Experts Ma Changying and Yin Zhaosheng from Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital, grounding their advice in clinical practice, respectively gave practical suggestions on multimodal treatment strategies (e.g., timing the combination of carbon-ion radiotherapy with targeted drugs) and dosimetry verification technologies (3D Dose-Volume Histogram, DVH analysis). The experts' suggestions offered both theoretical depth and clinical relevance, providing clear direction for the students' subsequent research.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Ye Yancheng stated: "The clinical application of carbon-ion radiotherapy is no longer merely a medical technology issue; it has evolved into a public health proposition involving health economics evaluations, medical resource allocation, and health equity."
This research direction is deeply rooted in the decade-long, pioneering clinical practice at the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center of Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital. As the clinical translation base for China's first independently developed heavy-ion therapy system, the center has cumulatively treated over 2,000 cancer patients with precision since its formal clinical launch in 2020. This platform not only provides Master's students at Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital with an integrated "clinical-research-education" environment but also supplies ample real-world case studies. Furthermore, it lays a solid foundation for the sustainable development of heavy-ion technology in China.
Following rigorous review and deliberation, all three students successfully passed their thesis proposal defense. Prof. Zheng Guisen remarked: "As a vital component of precision medicine, the clinical application of carbon-ion radiotherapy necessitates balancing technological innovation with ethical standards. Subsequent research should emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration and assess the social benefits of treatment regimens from a public health perspective."
As the three students left the venue holding their successful defense resolutions, the domestically produced heavy-ion therapy system, operating reliably for five years, continued its precise work behind them. This defense session was not only an evaluation of academic achievement but also an interpretation of an era-driven imperative—within the "Healthy China" strategy journey, young scholars empower the nation's major technological assets with their intellect, while those assets provide the platform to elevate youthful aspirations. The future of heavy-ion therapy lies within the inquiring eyes of these young individuals asking 'why?' This mutually empowering innovation ecosystem is vividly annotating the healthcare chapter of Chinese modernization on the vibrant ground of Wuwei.